


The Last Captain of the Guard

by Arufa_DaAren



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-05
Packaged: 2019-02-28 16:28:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 28,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13275390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arufa_DaAren/pseuds/Arufa_DaAren
Summary: Lena Luthor has secrets. Most were innocuous little idiosyncrasies. Of her biggest secrets, the main one was currently staring back at her from her bathroom mirror. SuperCorp and General Danvers. Slow burn.





	1. The Biggest of Big Secrets

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, I'm usually just an avid reader. I have no beta, so mistakes are all my own.
> 
> Obviously I don't own Supergirl, or any other DC characters
> 
> This idea has been rattling around my head for a few days, and had to get it out somewhere, I hope you guys like it.

She had secrets. To get where she was in life, she had to have secrets. No matter how much she hated it.

Most were innocuous little idiosyncrasies more than anything. Like how when she was down, she would happily devour six Big Macs without a care in the world, but would feel like the world's biggest asshole after the fact. Or how scratching the back of her head would almost immediately put her to sleep. Small things, mundane things.

Of her biggest secrets, the main one was currently staring back at her from her bathroom mirror; hair tousled from sleep, eyes bagged from what was essentially a three hour nap, more than real rest, green irises slightly dull from the ridiculous amount of overtime she'd recently indulged in. She chuckled to herself as the idea of her being her own biggest secret wafted slowly through her mind.

It was her mother's fault. Not Lillian, she was just a thorn in her side. Her biological mother; Elena Ohn-Ne. It was her sweet, caring, loving biological mother's fault that she was keeping a huge secret; and while she didn't blame her dear mother, it was beginning to grate on her nerves.

_I miss her tremendously, though_

It was true. Her real mother had been the light of her life. Now that light was marred by the memory of glowing green ooze that had spilled from the wound in her chest, as her body hit the floor in front of the bed Lena had been hiding under at the time. She shuddered at the thought. The few that knew about The CEO's past, had been told that Elena had died in a house fire, that Lena herself had narrowly escaped. That was a blatant lie. Lena's mother had been murdered, and would gladly tell that the anyone who asked. Not that anyone did. She was a Luthor now, regardless of her past. Regardless of what her name had once been.

She was thankful that no one asked, if she was honest. Even the dear, sweet Kara Danvers/Zor-El/Supergirl (because of course she knows, Kara is her best friend, and Lena is a genius) had not pried about Lena's real mother, although Lena knew that was because Kara didn't want to bring up upsetting memories for her best friend, not because she didn't care. Unlike everyone else. But it was easier this way, she approached it like a "don't ask, don't tell" arrangement. It was far easier to hide if no one asked in the first place.

She drifted casually towards the shower, dropping her almost see through camisole to the floor as she went, toes grazing over the garment as she floated over it to get into the cubicle. She often wondered if Supergirl was as sluggish as she was at this time of the morning. Granted, she was only half-Kryptonian, but still; maybe it was a species-wide phenomena?

And that was her biggest secret. Half Kryptonian, half human, as well as the first and only of her kind; at least to her knowledge. Because apparently she wasn't lonely enough. A wry smile graced her features as she continued to lather shampoo through her hair. Having grown up with her abilities, she had exquisite control over them, probably more so than Supergirl herself, so that wasn't hard to hide. Her human DNA meant that she was impervious to Kryptonite, so even if she were exposed to the substance, no one would be able to guess that she was Kryptonian. And up until recently, she'd had no intentions of becoming some heroic figure the people would look up to, so she would only ever really be noticed for her contributions to society as a Luthor.

But things were changing. CADMUS was beginning to stir, and this new 'Reign' woman was somewhat of a concern, almost as much so as CADMUS. And that was making her think very hard about her current lifestyle. She stepped out of her shower and into the bedroom, glancing to the left side of her bed as she moved through the room. Her little cache of Kryptonian technology, along with her mother's old armour, sat behind the wall to the left of Lena's bed. After a moment of contemplation, Lena moved towards the hidden doorway, sliding the crystal swan on her bedside table to the left, thus releasing the deadman-switch style button that kept the door closed. The door slid open silently, and she stepped into the room, absentmindedly rubbing her hair with her towel as she surveyed the room.

From left to right there were pieces of scattered technology, things she'd pulled apart to investigate, notes scribbled on various bits of paper and all manner of random bits and pieces, strewn haphazardly about the room. The only thing in there that had never been dissected, was her mother's armour; hanging proudly in the centre of the back wall; silver cuirass, vambraces and pauldrons gleaming in the artificial light, greaves sheathed in shadow, but still just as polished, a deep purple cape hung from the right shoulder, and a helm with partial face covering sat atop the mannequin. Lena smiled, remembering the stories her mother used to tell of her time as the Captain of the Guard of House El. Her favourites had always been of little Kara Zor-El. Seems she was just as sunny on Krypton as she was on Earth, and that drew Lena in, even as a happy child.

Her nostalgic smile faltered as she remembered what was going on with CADMUS, and the recent addition of Reign. It was almost like they had been tag-teaming. CADMUS would launch an attack, and within 24 hours of that being dealt with, Reign was up to something. Kara had looked utterly exhausted at lunch yesterday, which is what had caused Lena to wonder if it might be time another super joined the fray. Moving and destroying Kryptonite just wasn't cutting it anymore. She shuffled the thought to the back of her mind, she would think about it later. She had to check on her second biggest secret, after all.


	2. Big Secret Number 2

She arrived at work precisely 24 minutes later, strode through the lobby and straight to her executive elevator. She was just lost enough in this morning's thoughts to forget to press the required button to make the lift move, but not enough so that she failed to greet Jess, or thank her for the steaming cup of coffee that was presented to her when she finally got to her floor. She shuffled quickly into her office, letting the door click quietly behind her before making a beeline to secret number two. Another crystal swan stood guard at the entrance, and Lena wondered if she might have an unhealthy obsession with the beautiful creatures, before shrugging the thought away and moving the guardian off to the left again.

This room was far more organised, it had to be to maintain standard hygiene protocols. There were monitors of various sizes and shapes hanging from the walls, medical tools and a fridge containing multitudes of different coloured concoctions off to the left, and a small workstation to the right. In the centre of the room was a cylindrical, floor to ceiling chamber, cables and wires sprouting forth from the sides, a blue liquid filled the main chamber, and within the liquid floated her guest.

General Astra In-Ze.

Lena smiled at the woman floating about a foot above ground, as she moved to check the data displayed on the monitors around the room. It had been a hell of a job, pulling the General's funeral pod back into atmosphere, and an even bigger one to get the woman's heart beating again. But Lena was a certified genius, so she remained confident throughout the ordeal, and had successfully saved the woman's life.

"You're coming along in leaps and bounds, General. I'm impressed. Your vitals are stable, the Kryptonite is almost completely flushed from your system, and despite the extended period without oxygen, your brain is functioning at its normal capacity. Now we just have to wait for you to wake"

She had no idea when, or why she had taken to talking to the comatose woman, but it seemed the right thing to do. She smiled up at the prone from once more, watching eyes flicker behind closed eyelids, before nodding once and returning to her office to begin work. If Astra wakes, an alert will be sent to her phone anyway, so she didn't have to wait around and miss out on work.

The rest of her day went by quickly, meetings and paperwork kept her busy, and she made sure to check on Astra before leaving for the day. She had texted Kara at lunchtime, offering to take her out, the blonde had apologised profusely for being bogged down with work, blaming Snapper Carr for keeping her snowed under, but Lena knew better, and simply accepted the apology, making the hero promise a movie night over the next weekend.  _The girl needs to take a break occasionally_ , she'd thought to herself as she worriedly watched the news that night, which was showing her best friend tussling with an unnecessarily large CADMUS creation. It took Lena every ounce of willpower she had not to don her mother's armour and spear-tackle the monster herself, if only to give Kara a second to breathe.  _I could be doing so much more._

And that's what finally cemented Lena's decision to take up her mother's mantle, and help Kara fight. She wouldn't use her mother's armour, no. These CADMUS monsters would destroy it in seconds, and it meant far too much to Lena to allow that to happen. She decided instead to build a new suit, laced with Earthen and Kryptonian technology alike. She would show these bastards what it meant to harm the dear friend of an Ohn-Ne.

Several hours later, an adrenaline-hyped Lena was already machining parts for her suit, turning each piece over in her hands, and triple-checking against her blueprints. The whole thing was planned out, piece-by-piece, and she was working on getting the base shape of the armour down-pat before she worried about the technology she wanted to include, which had stretched from Earthen and Kryptonian, to Daxamite and anything else that might come in handy, no matter where it was from. The sun was peeking over the horizon, and the base suit was completed by the time Lena actually slowed down. Lucky it was Sunday, and she had no intention of heading into L-Corp or CatCo.

* * *

Two more days passed quickly, as Lena split her time between her businesses and her personal project, and she was rapidly losing steam. She'd had approximately 13 hours of sleep in total over the past 72 hours, and it was wearing her down. She had slumped face-first onto her coffee table as exhaustion overtook her, while she was perfecting the connection between her suit, and a Daxamite weapon that she affectionately named "the Big Bang", when a high-pitched and frankly revolting noise startled her from her dozing.

Astra is awake.

She sprang up with renewed energy, and at this horrid hour (3:17 am) she didn't bother to call a driver or risk driving herself, instead taking advantage of the empty streets and super-speeding to L-Corp. The run would do her some good anyway. She glanced at the data her phone was displaying about Astra's condition as she waited for the lift to slowly ascend to her office. As planned, a mild sedative and muscle relaxant were being slowly administered to the General, not because Lena was afraid of her, more that she was worried the warrior would try to pull at the wires and tubes that were currently attached to her. The readout a showed that Astra was quite still in her chamber, seemingly adjusting to just breathing again. The elevator doors pinged open and Lena once again took advantage of the empty surroundings, speeding to the door that held Krypton's General, and a known Eco-terrorist behind it.

She sucked in a deep breath, this was a massive risk; if Astra chose to pursue her previous path, Lena would be adding another threat for her best friend to face. However, if Lena could convince her to help take out CADMUS and Reign, she would be an asset that could not be passed up. Plus, she hoped Kara would be happy, having her aunt back. Gently releasing the breath she'd just taken, Lena once again moved the crystal swan to the left.

Standing before the general was daunting, to say the least. Even in a weakened state, the woman cut a fierce figure. Lena stepped forward, raising her hands to shoulder level when Astra's eyes narrowed.

"My name is Lena. You knew my mother, Elena" Lena tried, as she took a step closer to the chamber. Astra's eyes widened slightly in recognition, and she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I know those tubes and wires must be uncomfortable…" She gestured to the ones currently hanging from Astra's right arm. "But they need to stay there a little while longer, while I check that you'll be ok without them." Astra nodded slightly again, while scrutinising the girl before her. Lena moved around the room, taking in everything the screens could offer her, feeling Astra's eyes on her the whole way. After she was sure all was well, she turned back to the General, who was still eyeing her, and made her way back over to the chamber. In the most kind and caring tone she could muster, she began to talk to the warrior again

"I'm going to drain the chamber now, it might feel a little cold for a minute, but I have some clean and warm clothes out here for you" Astra nodded once again, and Lena began the process of draining the tube, watching as the General's feet slowly connected with the bottom of the tube. She remained stable after a slight buckling of the knees, and Lena was quite happy with how much healing Astra's body had done. She had anticipated some atrophy, but it seemed the Kryptonian had no issues of that variety.

"Ok, now I'm going to open the chamber, but you can't move out of it yet. I have to get all of those tubes and whatnot off you first. So just stay out a moment, alright?" She waited for the silent nod before she began tapping away at the screen on the right side of the chamber. First initiating a locking procedure she hoped the General couldn't break through if she decided to make a run for it, then proceeded to unlock the tube, watching as it unlocked and slowly ascended toward the ceiling. Astra remained unmoved, apart from reaching sluggishly for the tube in her mouth.

"Ah ah ah, careful General, you've still got a little Kryptonite in your system, so you might actually damage yourself if you remove that the wrong way. May I?" Lena tentatively reached for the tube, hands hovering for a moment before getting the go ahead from the older woman. Carefully, she pulled the tube from Astea's throat, holding her hand up in a "stop" gesture when the General went to speak. She retrieved a cup of water and held it to the woman's lips as she gulped thirstily. Lena began carefully removing the remaining wires and tubes while Astra cleared her throat, and worked her jaw slightly to remove the tension.

"Y-Your mo…" Astra cleared her throat of the irritation, and began again. "Your mother was a skilled warrior, and personal guard to my niece. How is she?" Lena looked down and closed her eyes, this is why she was thankful that Kara never asked. She opened her eyes when long fingers clasped her chin and raised it upwards.

"I am sorry for your loss, Young One" Astra's tone held no malice, nor even any weariness of the young woman before her, and for whatever reason, that shocked Lena immensely.

"What of your father, little Ohn-Ne?" Astra rasped out, voice still gravelly from lack of use, and abundance of medical tubing.

"Human, and also gone" Lena ground out after a moment. Astra seemed shocking by the revelation that Lena was half-caste, but it evaporated into sympathy shortly thereafter.

"I am sorry once again, Young One." Lena nodded and resumed liberating Astra of her medical bonds. Several minutes later, Astra was sat on a gurney, as Lena checked her reflexes, motor skills and eye movements. Astra watched Lena moving around, but it was no longer with cautious eyes, just inquisitive and curious ones.

"How long have you been alone, little Ohn-Ne?" Astra enquired as Lena jotted something down on a notepad.

"Since my mother died. The family that adopted me rather hated me. These days that's escalated to murder attempts, as well as trying to implicate me in their highly illegal and xenophobic endeavours." Lena replied with nonchalance as the General gaped at her.

"You are not alone anymore, Young One. I want to thank you for saving my life, find a better way to save this planet, and make amends for my poor decisions in the past. I think the very least I can do for now is stand by you, protect you where I am able…" Astra reached out to rest her hand on Lena's shoulder "you are not alone anymore, Young One." Astra finished the sentence with a light squeeze on the CEO' shoulder, before dropping her hand back to her lap, and watching Lena wipe the tears from her eyes.

Lena had gotten absolutely nothing business-related done by the end of the day, instead focussing all of her attention on the Kryptonian warrior in the secret room attached to her office. The Kryptonian warrior who seemed highly repentant, and eager to look out for Lena. She was, of course, massively gun-shy after the Rhea incident, so she remained as closed off as she could without alerting the General. Astra still noticed. And eventually managed to coax the story out of Lena, who sobbed for the betrayal she had endured, and for the terror she had inadvertently caused, and for the grief she had caused Kara. Astra held the younger woman close and swung the topic towards her niece, noticing that Lena had been more upset about the pain she had unintentionally caused Kara, than anything else.

In short order, the two were giggling about everything Kara related, Astra regaling Lena with stories of Kara's adventures, and Lena updating the General on what her niece had been up to this past year-or-so. They had just wound down from giggling fits which had brought along tears of joy, when Lena revealed her plan to take her mother's position as Captain of the Guard of House El, and that she had minimal training and no idea what she was doing.

"That, I can help with, Ohn-Ne. Once I am back to battle standard, I will train you. In the meantime, we will have to do what we can to help Kara in other ways." Astra had stood and smiled proudly at Lena, who was absolutely thrilled at not being referred to as 'Luthor', and beamed back in response. Both women's super hearing picked up a slight knock on Lena's office door, and she sped into the room after reminding Astra to stay put. Jess poked her head in just as Lena got to her desk, and asked if the CEO wanted her driver called. Lena declined and stated she would be staying late, sending Jess of with a smile. Now came the hard part, getting General Astra In-Ze back to her penthouse.


	3. An Interesting Collection of Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for surgical procedures, despite how poorly written they may be

It had been easier than she had anticipated, moving Astra to her home. She had a car in the underground car park that she had very nearly forgotten about, and of course security wouldn't question the presence of a second person if Lena was chatting amicably with them. She bid the burly men goodnight and guided the General to her car, giggling as Astra approached the vehicle like it was going to attack. After receiving heart glare, she demonstrated how to enter the automobile and then how to put on a seatbelt. She laughed until tears flowed freely from her eyes when the big bad General squealed at the roar of the engine, and by the time they were on the road, her stomach ached like it hadn't for years.

Astra was still scowling deeply when they entered Lena's apartment, and Lena herself was holding back further giggles. She couldn't wait to see how Astra would react to things like toasters. In the meantime, she handed the woman a set of pajamas and showed her where the bathroom was, before guiding her to the previously unused guest room. Astra thanked her while scowling playfully, and made her way to bed.

* * *

Lena was not disappointed or upset when Astra's reaction to the toaster took out half of the kitchen island; she had been too busy doubled over in laughter. Even falling to her knees and snorting when the indignant cry of "that box just spat hot bread at me!" Came from wherever Astra and the missing half of her kitchen island had landed after the General's shocked response. It was a good 15 minutes before Lena was in any state to even stand, and Astra had already recovered enough to be floating above the crouched half-caste alien, while scowling and muttering various Kryptonese insults. Which of course set her of off again. Astra simply huffed and floated back towards the guest room.

After finally managing to make breakfast for herself and her guest, Lena made her way to the shower and got ready for her day, quickly showing Astra how Google worked, and reminding her to stay in the penthouse before leaving for work. The day was boring. Mountains of paperwork surrounded her, the R D team was having trouble with something that was in actuality, extremely simple; and Lena was dreading her upcoming meeting with the board of stuffy old men who wore too much Old Spice. That meeting ended shortly after Lena's mind drifted off to this morning's events, and she found herself cackling at Astra's response to the toaster in front of the confused old men. She had excused herself, stating that they would continue the meeting another time, as she was not 100% committed to the conversation.

* * *

Only 2 hours later, she drifted through the door of her home and plonked her bag down on the floor near the front door. She found Astra exactly as she had left her, eyes glued to the laptop screen as she devoured information on...chocolate...apparently. Lena snickered to herself, as she snuck closer to the warrior, well aware that she was too absorbed in her reading to focus on the footsteps behind her. She leaned over Astra's shoulder, just outside her periphery, and loudly asked

"Would you like to try some?" Astra very nearly hit the roof in response, and Lena found herself rolling on the floor again; clutching her stomach as she laughed wholeheartedly. After a moment to catch her breath, Astra's eyes took on the quality of an excited child, and she nodded emphatically when Lena looked back at her. Wiping her face of the tears that had formed, Lena stood up and strode to the fridge, Astra floating along behind her the whole way. She pulled out a single square of chocolate and handed it to the inquisitive alien, who turned the square between her fingers, grimacing slightly when it started to melt, before taking a cautious nibble.

The resulting moan had Lena wondering if she should organize a fresh set of knickers for the General, before the aforementioned surged forward to liberate more chocolate from the fridge. Lena chuckled as Astra shoveled the sweets into her mouth, and left her to it while she showered and changed. Upon her return to the lounge area, Lena found Astra back at the laptop, now with a small mountain of chocolate next to her.

"Don't think you'll startle me again, Young One, I'm paying attention now" she commented over her shoulder. Lena chuckled as she situated herself on the couch.

"I haven't quite recovered from the first time yet, General." She smirked as the older woman glared back playfully.

"The Google tells me that this...cat mess...group have soldiers infused with Kryptonite, how is Kara fairing against them?" Astra asked, while Lena snickered at her mispronunciation of CADMUS.

"Not great. I think the DEO would probably have her under the sunlamps nearly constantly. I'm worried about that much exposure, though. When do you think you'll be up to training me? I wouldn't clear you for battle just yet, but if you're up for it, you could at least guide me verbally?"

"I could do that, at least. But you'll need a place to train, and someone or something to train against while I'm out of action." Lena nodded as she considered the options at her disposal. She had that warehouse she'd recently bought from Maxwell Lord; spacious, out of the way, sturdy...

"I know just the place" Astra smiled and nodded

"The Google also tells me that Jeramiah Danvers is in the company of cat mess, he's the man who took up care of Kara when she came here, isn't he?" Lena's chuckle died in her throat and eyes widened as she repositioned herself on the couch, now hanging over the back of it to see the laptop screen

"Where did you read that?" She asked as Astra turned to the machine, carefully positioning the cursor over a different tab in the browser, and clicking to bring the page up. Lena was astonished, she'd managed to work a trace into the CADMUS servers months ago, but since her mother had been jailed it was practically radio silence for the group. She'd forgotten about that trace until Astra opened the tab. She must have accidentally clicked it on the browser toolbar. Lena speed-read the information provided, and true enough, Astra was right. Kara and Alex's father was with CADMUS. Although, according to what was being floated around, he was in trouble for helping his daughters out a few months back.

They were experimenting on him.

Some alien bacteria, from what Lena could see. She took the mouse from Astra and began clicking through the information, finally finding more on what was actually being done to the Danvers patriarch. His left arm had been infected with a slow-moving microorganism that fed on flesh by way of forcing it to swell, then devouring it while the tissue was compromised. A soft muttering of "barbaric" floated into Lena's mind and she composed herself.

"We need to get started on that training now if I'm to help Mr. Danvers" Astra nodded and stood with Lena, both silently moving towards the lift, and ultimately to the warehouse Lena had thought of earlier.

* * *

"Harder, Young One! You're Kryptonian, that thing should move out of sheer respect for you!" Lena was currently pressed bodily against the side of an 18-wheeler, trying to get it to move. She was frustrated, too. She knew she was only half Kryptonian, but geez not even an inch? Astra's sideline cheering was surprisingly helpful though; it wasn't a string of insults like one would expect from a drill-sergeant, more a bunch of compliments. Lena finally felt the truck start to shift, which boosted her confidence immensely, and she pushed harder, gaining enough momentum to shove the truck to the other side of the room. She faintly heard Astra clapping and whooping behind her as she breathed heavily and gazed at her hands. _I can do this_ she determined, clenching her fists and moving to the front of the truck, lifting it slightly and pulling it away from the wall, just enough to squeeze into the gap left behind. Positioning her hands against the side of the truck once again, she pushed at it, and walked it to the other end of the room. Astra was shouting words of praise and encouragement the whole time, and had Lena repeat the move another dozen times.

8 days later, Lena had been keeping an eye on the CADMUS trace she had set up, reading through the results on Jeramiah Danvers' most recent reactions and symptoms; while training with massive robots that she had the R D department build for her to practice on. She had somehow managed to finish her modernized Guard of the House of El armour, and Astra had recovered enough to teach Lena how to fight, and she was thrilled with the young halflings progress. Today she would test Lena in a sparring match.

Nothing was said as they squared off against each other, dropping into the respective stances as they prepared for battle. Lena was eager to test her armour, and Astra graciously agreed. The fight started slowly, each gaining momentum as time wore on. An hour later, they two were fighting like seasoned vets, and Lena had successfully pinned her mentor twice now. She had unfortunately been too cocky about that, and The General quickly showed her why that was a bad idea. Her armour was holding up against hits that she knew were not half-assed, and Astra herself seemed impressed, taking a moment after the fight to examine the suit and nod approvingly. Lena beamed at her. She had managed to pin the older woman a third time, this time maintaining her cockiness, and finally caused the General to tap out by holding her arm behind her until it began to hyperextend the joint. Astra had smiled proudly at Lena, congratulating her on a job well done. Overall, Lena was exhausted and completely thrilled.

Until she checked for updates on Jeramiah's condition. He was hours away from death, and they hadn't really planned on how to get him out. Astra finally nodded and turned towards the door

"You have a plan?" Lena asked hopefully

"Yes, I plan we beat our way in, collect Mr. Danvers and beat our way back out." Lena simply gaped

"Do you have any other ideas?" Lena shook her head in response

"Then that's what we're doing. Put your armour back on Young One. Time to test you in the field."

* * *

 _Field tests sucks_ , Lena quickly decided as she took a third, very painful, hit to her head. This guy had an over abundance of arms, and an under bite like a bulldog, but Lena was coping. She finally managed to slip out from arm number 5 and shot into the air above the creation. Watching as he turned his eyes to her, she waited for him to fully face her before she sped back down to him, connecting her fist with his face and a resounding 'crack'. She was lucky this guy was dopey. Behind her, a slightly choked Astra - they had encountered a considerable amount of Kryptonite - held a dying Danvers. Lena turned to nod at the General and they managed to work their way back out into the open. The slowly setting yellow sun managed to restore Astra slightly, and she only needed two tries to get into the air. They flew back to Lena's penthouse as quick as they safely could, Astra laying Jeramiah Danvers down on the gurney in Lena's secret cache, which had recently been cleaned up and rearranged to accommodate the Danvers patriarch.

Lena had to work quickly, setting up scanners with one hand and arranging the surgical tools required with the other, before scrubbing up and beginning the surgery that would save her best friend's father's life. She may not have made it to her PhD, but she was only six months worth of intern hours away from the qualification, so she knew what she was doing. Astra stood at the head of the bed, waiting for any orders from Lena, while gently running her hand through the mans' shake in an attempt to sooth him. She nearly gagged when black ooze seeped from the incision Lena was making. Lena being as smart as she was, had a trough full of sulphuric acid resting beneath where she was performing the surgery. If anything was gonna kill this horrible thing, it was sulphuric acid.

"Bugger" she muttered quietly as she surveyed the full extent of the damage. Astra looked ather worriedly.

"I have to amputate, there's too much damage". Lena stated. Astra was taken aback by how quickly the young woman could become so clinical and detached, not in a cruel way, in the way a doctor needed to be detached. She winced and turned away when Lena began hacking at the bone just 2 inches above where the swelling ended. She may be a warrior, but this was far too brutal for her liking. She focused instead on trying to sooth the man who took her niece in. He was writhing in clear pain, but was too out of it to really respond.

Several hours later, Lena had detached the rotten arm, and determined that the microorganism had not travelled to other areas of the man's body. She stitched the wound carefully and administered a fairly heavy dosage of morphine via IV, as well as standard fluids. She had Astra leave the room as she used her laser vision to incinerate the dead appendage, and then proceeded to vomit violently into the bin behind her, before cleaning herself up. Jeramiah Danvers was safe, and in her care. She was building a rather interesting collection of secrets


	4. Secret Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As some of you have probably picked up, I have no intention of describing rooms and people, when you already have a visual to work off of. I think it's kinda redundant. I also prefer to just tell the story, unnecessary details tend to get in the way of that. That's why there are a few time skips, and I'm avoiding adding more than is required.

Lena was back at work the day after the impromptu surgery to save Jeramiah Danvers, even though she was still queasy. She found herself thankful that she'd had to step in to take over Lex's position before she finished her internship; she was quite sure she never wanted to do that, ever again.

By now, training had become such a normal part of her life that she didn't realize she was hovering a few inches above the ground, until she heard the hurried 'thunk' of her office door. Turning, she saw Jess staring at her from the doorway. Puzzled momentarily, she quickly caught on and dropped back to the ground, immediately launching into a hurried explanation that she knew would never actually explain the situation. Jess held up a placating hand before beginning to shuffle with her hair, revealing a pair of cat ears that had apparently been pinned back with bobby pins. A tail unwound itself from the receptionist's thigh, and flickered idly behind her.

"Y-you're Vesperian?" Lena asked shakily, and Jess nodded.

"And you're Kryptonian, Miss Luthor" she responded with a smile, before moving further into the room.

"Half" the CEO interjected lamely

"Are you going to be helping Supergirl?" Jess asked, stepping up to her boss

"Well, that's the plan. But I'm nowhere near ready yet. My mentor is still recovering from injury, I don't want her to push herself too hard, so I'm not able to train properly. It's rather grating on my nerves" the Vesperian moved to sit on the guest chair at Lena's desk, and nodded solemnly.

"I want to help. Help Supergirl, help you. Let me train you, at least while your mentor is still recovering?" Lena was shocked. To think her tiny little receptionist could fight!

"I may look little, Miss Luthor, but I can assure you I know how to fight. Maybe even better than your mentor. Cats have a certain, agility, that often gives an upper hand. It's likely I can train you in ways your mentor can't"

* * *

And that's what led them to this situation. Lena pinned against a wall, and six inches off the ground at that. Her cat-like receptionist had proven to be one hell of an obstacle, but Lena was determined, and with aid from laser vision - she'd replace the woman's shoes, of course - she was back in the fight. Jess hadn't been wrong about the agility factor, she was a slippery little thing, to boot. But after several arduous hours, Lena finally knocked the cat out. Gasping as she rushed to her friend's side, she made sure Jess was alright, before slumping down next to her. Astra was smiling proudly from the other side of the room, and made her way over to the exhausted women.

"You did very well, Young Captain" she praised, as she knelt beside the pair, taking Lena into her arms.

"I am so proud of you" Lena couldn't have stopped the tears if she'd tried, so she opted to turn into the embrace, sobbing quietly as Astra rubbed soothing paths up and down her back. It was the first time she'd felt as if she had a family in nearly two decades, and the feeling was bittersweet, at best.

Over the next four days, training continued on, with Lena's skills progressing quickly. Astra joined the pair in training a few days later. Determining that while she was highly skilled, a little Vesperian edge wouldn't go astray. Jess had beamed at her.

* * *

At 3:49 am on the fifth day, Lena awoke to an alert on her phone, notifying her that Jeramiah Danvers was waking. She rushed into the makeshift hospital room and began checking monitors and read outs, satisfied only when they showed there were no complications left by the microorganism that nearly killed him. He groaned his way into wakefulness, and after staring down at the stump that remained of his left arm - seemingly accepting that its removal had been necessary, he turned to Lena.

"M-miss Luthor?" He questioned. She cautiously nodded, unsure about what his reaction to her presence might be. He smiled, and easily negated her worry

"I knew you were good" his smile never faltered as Lena stared down at him

"You, you did?"

"After that little stunt that landed Lillian in jail, definitely. You're not your family." His tone was airy, probably a result of the morphine, and Lena wondered if he would be quite so understanding once weaned off the drug.

"I'll say" came a cheerful retort from the General, who had apparently entered the room behind Lena.

"She is an Ohn-Ne. Kryptonian, or half at least. And the last guard of the House of El." Astra beamed as Lena slowly brought her hands to cover her face, mumbling out a "so much for secret identities" as she did. Jeramiah just chuckled, before his morphine addled mind caught up

"Kryptonian? Guard of the House of El? So you're Supergirl's protector?" Lena could practically feel Astra nodding happily behind her.

"Yes. Or at least I will be. I'm in training." In a completely uncharacteristic move, Lena rubbed at the back of her neck. Jeramiah seemed to contemplate the information, before nodding once, and smiling up at the CEO again

"If there's anything I can do to help, let me know. I may only have one arm, but you saved my life, as well as rescuing me from CADMUS; I'll do what I can, regardless"

"Hopefully, my R & D department are close to perfecting the prosthetic I had them build. So you'll only have one arm for a short while." Lena responded, somehow completely calm in the knowledge that Mr. Danvers knew of the situation. He nodded once more before his eyes began to flicker shut. Astra moved worriedly towards him, but Lena stopped her, reminding the General that he would need rest. The pair quietly exited the room after Lena rechecked the patient's vitals, and Lena called the R & D department to check the ETA on Mr. Danvers' new arm.

* * *

It was another week before Jeramiah was in any condition to undergo further surgery, and three more days after that before the prosthetic was ready. Jess had essentially become a part of the furniture at the penthouse, and as they awaited the results of Jeramiah's surgery, Lena began to wonder if it might be time to add another spare room. Astra, Jess and Lena were currently in the lounge area of Lena's penthouse, all silent and in varying stages of worry. The Danvers patriarch had easily slotted himself into the hearts of all three women, as his caring and accepting nature - as well as his determination to remain optimistic, despite his own traumas - made them all feel at ease. Even when in excruciating pain (he had decided that he wished to be weaned off the morphine as quickly as possible) he was smiling, and suddenly the alien women understood where it was that Kara had learned to be so...sunny.

All three women jumped as Lena's phone rang, scooting to the edges of their respective seats to see the caller ID. Lena had hired a handful of the world's best surgeons, as well as handpicking a small group of her own very talented staff members to ensure the surgery was a success, so she wasn't surprised when the number came up as private. She answered, listening intently to the doctor on the other end of the call, before her face cracked into a huge grin, and she thanked the man profusely after reminding him of the NDA they had all signed earlier that day (it was necessary to keep the surgery secret, lest CADMUS catch wind of it and go after the man.)

"He's alright?" Astra ventured tentatively, and Lena nodded emphatically.

"We can see him in the morning, and we can bring him home in a couple of days" The other two women let out a collective sigh of relief as they leaned back in their respective seats. Moments later, Astra was on her feet

"Young Captain, you told me recently that you are in possession of several pieces of Kryptonian technology, yet I have seen none. Would you show me? There may be something there that will aide Jeramiah to a speedy recovery"

"Of course, but Jess may find it boring if we're waffling on about Kryptonian tech" Lena awaited the older woman's reply as she watched her head cock to the side with a look of confusion

"Waffling? What is this, waffling?" Jess hid a snicker behind her hand as Lena explained.

"It's alright, guys. I should head home anyway. Let me know when we're going to see Jerry tomorrow!" Lena rolled her eyes at the Vesperian, apparently her receptionist had a penchant for nicknames. Lena herself was often referred to simply as 'Captain', at least during out-of-work situations, and Astra was rarely referred to as anything other than 'General'. Jeramiah was apparently just 'Jerry'. Lena nodded as she escorted the woman to the door, and reminded her to text when she got home, so she and Astra would know that she arrived safely. Jess beamed and brought her boss in for a hug, effectively shocking the CEO, before she waved and bounded away. Upon recovering, Lena turned to Astra and gestured for her to follow, the General falling into step behind her as they headed towards Lena's room. When she had prepared her secret chamber for Jeramiah's arrival, she had moved the technology to her walk-in wardrobe, shoving unnecessarily expensive outfits into boxes that now sat on the shelves above the remaining garments. She took a deep breath as she open the door. She hadn't shown these things to anyone. Her eyes were the only ones that had settled on these items for nearly two decades, and she was unfathomably nervous. For her part, Astra just stood in the doorway, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Is...is that...the cortex?" Lena followed the older woman's line of sight, and smiled as she took in the sight of the large, silver orb, floating above an anti-gravity pedestal that was made for specifically this purpose. It wasn't massive, by any stretch of the imagination. About 2 foot in diameter, it was actually quite small, in comparison to the image it conjured up in conversation.

"Yes. Mother managed to salvage it, along with these other few items, as Krypton began to quake." Astra stepped up to the device, a nostalgic smile on her face as a panel opened up in front of her.

"Have you used it?" she asked, as she inspected the orb.

"Of course. Frequently, actually. I like to know that nothing has changed on that front, makes it easier to hold back my feelings, I think. Right now is not the time to go professing my undying love to anyone."

"Who does it bond you with?" Astra asked, as she continued surveying the technology. Upon receiving no response, she turned to the CEO, raising an eyebrow as she took in the sheepish form of a woman that usually seemed so confident.

"Young Captain?"

"Let's just say that, love is required in order to protect" It took a moment, but Astra picked up on the meaning quickly. With a sly grin, she decided to toy with the Captain a little

"My niece, huh? I believe that what you require now, is what Humans call a 'shovel talk'." Lena was suddenly standing ramrod straight, with absurdly wide eyes, and a mouth that couldn't decide whether it was open or closed. Astra laughed wholeheartedly.

"That's for the toaster incident" Lena deflated quickly, and crossed her arms across her chest, even as she scowled playfully at her mentor.

"Why don't you see what it says for you? Things are different now, I doubt it would return the same response as it did on Krypton." Astra looked worried for a moment, before nodding and turning back to the machine. She slid her shaky hand onto the panel, and awaited the response. A blue beam was soon travelling over the expanse of her palm, and down her fingertips, as the device whirred through it's process. Lena herself had never been able to pinpoint exactly how the machine worked, so she honestly had no clue what the machine was testing. She had decided long ago, that Krypton must have held some magic.

"Alexandra Danvers" is what the machine voiced, in its monotonous tone, moments later. Both Lena and Astra just stared at the thing in response, until Astra found her voice enough to issue the 'repeat' command.

"Alexandra Danvers" was called out once more, and Astra remained dumbfounded. Lena, however, broke into a huge grin.

"I'm so telling Jeramiah"

* * *

By the time Lena revealed the Captain to the public, Jeramiah was mostly healed. What was worrying though, was that Jess and Astra had become embroiled in a near constant argument of "she's ready" "no she's not!" when it came to Lena's progress in training (Jess was convinced Lena could beat even Supergirl herself, while Astra remained concerned for reasons that she refused to voice.)

But none of it mattered at the moment.

Kara was struggling. She was attempting to haul a train back onto the tracks before it plummeted into a ravine; the bridge it was meant to cross had been blown up, and CADMUS had quickly taken responsibility. They were genuinely trying to run her down with a constant string of tasks which would require Kara to use her abilities. Lena theorized that they were trying to make her blow her powers again. The quartet were watching the live broadcast in Lena's lounge area when Lena saw it; Supergirl faltered and dropped several feet, struggling to regain ground. Before any of the others even registered the gush of air, Lena was out the window, her armour mechanically shifting into place as she flew. She didn't care who saw, she just needed to get to Kara before it was too late.

Had she been a split second later, both Kara and the train full of passengers would have dropped. As it happened, she made it just in time to grab the super, as well as the precariously teetering train carriage. Kara was clearly exhausted; her head lolled forwards as Lena set the carriage in place. She didn't even hear the cheers and applause as she floated her best friend over the top of the carriage, and back towards where she knew the DEO headquarters were situated. Kara regained enough composure to look at the woman holding her, taking in the armour, before asking the question that made Lena's stomach twist for multiple reasons

"Elena?" She was out cold seconds later. Lena dropped her best friend into the waiting arms of her teary sister, nodding once at Alex's heartfelt thank you, before leaving without saying a word.

She was met with two very stern looking elders, and one beaming receptionist when she returned to the penthouse. Astra moved to her immediately, checked her over before dragging into a hug. Lena was shocked, still not used to the random affection the odd little group tended to show.

"You could have been hurt, you silly girl!" Astra exclaimed, and Lena swore she heard tears in her mentor's voice.

"I'm alright, General. It's not like it was a fight"

"That's hardly the point, Lena. What if CADMUS had someone waiting nearby? Even if they were there for Kara, they would have tried to take you on as well" Jeramiah interjected. Lena pushed away from Astra, and glared at the man before her.

"So, in that case, I should have just left the nearly unconscious Kara, your daughter, to die? To be experimented on in her weakened state?" A darker part of Lena smiled maliciously as the man paled.

"Believe me, that's not what I mean, and definitely not what I want. It's just that, you're as much family to me as Kara is, and Kara has all the backup of the DEO behind her. They have the resources to find her, to help her heal. We don't have those capabilities. Not when it comes to you, Jess, or Astra. We're a small group, we can't work at the level they can, so we need to be careful, and to keep each other safe. We were worried about you, Lena" The conviction in his voice tore right through Lena's defenses, and she soon bowed her head in acceptance.

"I understand that, but those people were in trouble, Kara was in trouble. I couldn't stand by and watch. Especially if there was a chance of CADMUS having agents in place to take her out." Astra's hand appeared on her shoulder from behind her.

"We know, we just want to make sure you're one hundred percent ready for the field. Jeramiah's right, we were worried about you."

"you put me in the field, like, two weeks into training. And I was actually fighting, then" Lena responded, and Astra took a moment to consider the answer. After a moment, she smiled

"You're right, and you did magnificently. I feel rather embarrassed that I worried now" The crew chuckled quietly as Astra grinned apologetically at Lena.

"Thanks anyway guys, it's nice to know people worry about me" Jess was wrapped around her before she'd finished her sentence, and spoke for the group when she responded

"You're family, family takes care of each other" Lena couldn't have stopped the tears if she tried


	5. Super Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the start of this chapter is gong to be a short POV switch to Kara - gotta keep updated with our favorite Super - then we're going back to Lena
> 
> Also, I realize I haven't really explained how Lena's armour works, I *will* go back and edit this story when it's done, but for the meantime; it's similar to Iron Man's in the sense that it applies itself mechanically. For the most part it's a compacted piece that shrinks down into a necklace, and 3 seconds of stable fingerprint input allows it to 'unfold' across her body.
> 
> FYI: I have *not* seen season 3 yet. So I'm sorry if I miss out on crucial info

Kara POV

"I swear it was her, Alex. Same eyes, same protected feeling. It's Elena. We have nothing to worry about" Kara beamed tiredly from her place under the sunlamps.

"I'm sure you  _think_  you know, Kara, but until we can confirm that, I'd rather be safe." Alex was looking over Kara's charts, checking for any changes. Kara huffed at her sister

"I'm safe with her, I can feel it. She's not a threat." Kara tried again.

"Better safe, than sorry" Alex replied

* * *

Lena POV

Kara was out of action indefinitely, Lena knew this. Astra knew this, even Jess knew this. So why were they still so determined to keep her from stepping in?

"I still don't think you're ready. What happens if you find out that you're not completely impervious to the effects of Kryptonite? What if you find that out in the middle of a fight? It's dangerous, Lena" Jeramiah tried to reason with the brunette, but she was stubborn at the best of times. This was not the best of times.

"Jeramiah, Kara jumps into danger even knowing full-well that Kryptonite is present, and she is in no way invulnerable to it. Logically speaking, I'm actually safer than she has been all this time." She huffs. She was currently wearing her famous don't-fuck-with-me face, and Jeramiah was having trouble standing up to it

"You know, if you agreed to let me help you, I'm sure we'd all be far more likely to let you go out there" Astra piped-up from the kitchen.

"What, just reveal you to the world? I can only imagine how terrible the conversation with Kara would be. 'oh, yeah, I kinda saved your aunt's life, but I've been keeping it from you because you're surrounded by people who want to kill her'. She'd feel terrible about her alignment with the DEO, and we've previously established that they are, at the very least, decent at taking care of her and backing her up. We can't risk her deciding to abandon them." Lena responded, watching as Jess and Jeramiah nodded from their places on the couch.

"And how do you suppose I let you help without revealing you? Make you your...own...armour..." She trailed off as the idea formed in her mind.

"That could work. The Guard of the House of El was made up of more than one person. And it would be strategically beneficial to have a trained General on the field with you"

"I want armour, too!" Jess bounced excitedly on the couch. If Lena had learned anything about the woman, it's that she was almost too bloody perky.

"It...it's an idea, at least. I know you're all worried about me being out there alone, but if this will satisfy your need to protect me, then I'll get onto it." She watched as the others all nodded their agreement. She sighed

"Am I making you a set as well, Jeramiah?"

"No, I think it's best you have backup on the ground. If we can hack the DEO servers then I can monitor you guys on the field, and anonymously call for backup if it becomes necessary" Lena nodded before turning to Astra.

"Well then, let's get your measurements, so I can begin. C'mon, Jess" Jess scrambled from the couch as Jeramiah chuckled. Astra just sauntered behind the young Captain.

* * *

Building two more working sets of armour, while helping the people her little crew would allow her to, and hacking the DEO, and maintaining two multi-million dollar businesses was particularly tiring work. On the bright-side, it took only three days to build armour for her friends - Jess's had included technology similar to that of a hovercraft, allowing her to, essentially, fly at low altitudes. On top of that, CADMUS seemed to drop off after Kara went down. She was glad the group had allowed her to go out on small 'missions'; but she was somewhat disappointed that they didn't believe in her enough to let her have a go at the bigger jobs. She was currently floating back through her balcony window, muttering to herself about children who name their pet snakes things like 'fluffy'.

"You're back! We have news." Astra frowned as Lena softly touched-down.

"Oh? What's happening?"

"CADMUS is making a move. It's just a threat, but it's being broadcast nation-wide, they've even hacked the local Internet providers and hijacked their service." Jeramiah pointed to the laptop screen, which currently showed various aliens being dragged into what looked like modern-day concentration camps. The tagline at the bottom of the screen offered the phrase 'CADMUS will purify this world'. Lena felt sick. There were children among those being manhandled into the camps

"Move aside, Jeramiah. I want to send them an answer." She practically growled. Within seconds, she had piggybacked CADMUS' hack, and had crafted her response. There on the screen, now replacing the disgusting clip, were seven, simple words in perfect Kryptonese, that soon shifted to English:

_Do not be afraid_

_CADMUS will fall_

5 seconds later, the screen changed again, and the crest of the Guard of House El glared proudly at its viewers. Lena sat back and scowled at the screen, awaiting a response. Instead, normal broadcasts resumed, and Lena checked to find that CADMUS stopped the hack entirely.

"We need to help those people. I will not take no for an answer on this. You two" She pointed at Astra and Jess "Either suit-up or stand back. I'm going to find out where they're being kept, then I'm going to annihilate anything that stands in my way" Lena spoke with such rage that the pair simply pressed their fingers to the pendants that held their armour, and awaited further instructions.

"Good. Jeramiah, start working on finding that location. I know you don't specialise in computer hacking, so see what that DEO hack can offer. We have earpieces, so keep us updated" Jeramiah nodded and Lena turned back to the girls.

"For now, we patrol. Keep an eye out for suspicious movements; particularly aliens being dragged into black SUV's and vans." The other aliens nodded, and the trio took off.

* * *

After 4 hours of patrolling, the three women had successfully stopped a total of 6 attempted kidnappings. But Jeramiah had found nothing of the location of the camp. So when they stumbled on the 7th kidnapping scene, Lena held the other two women back

"We're going to follow them. Otherwise it seems we'll never figure out where they're being taken" The others nodded and turned to face the scene before them. They watched as a large, almost fish-like alien was dragged into a black van, kicking and screaming the whole way. Keeping a reasonable distance, they followed the van for over an hour before they finally made it to the camp. It was a massive building, surrounded by barbed wire and towers containing snipers. It was like a maximum-security prison. Lena supposed it probably was.

"What do we do from here, Young Captain?" Astra asked, as she watched the fish man be dragged through the gates.

"Two Kryptonians and a Vesperian; think we can handle whoever's inside?" Jess grinned viciously, licking her lips.

"I'm sure we can try" Lena responded, her secretary's apparent desire to cause some damage rubbing off on her

"Let us go, then" Astra responded before shooting down to the now closing gate, tearing it clean off it's rails to allow her comrades to follow.

The following fight was was ferocious, the trio quickly knocking out everyone who showed up with guns aimed at them. Lena marveled at how quickly they tore through the first round of stunned guards. The second round was harder; packing Kryptonite bullets that quickly put Astra out of the fight.

"Go ahead and clear the way, I'll unlock the cells, so just keep driving them back!" She'd yelled as she took cover behind a sturdy wall. Lena and Jess nodded, continuing to steamroll every threat they faced. They quickly found themselves in a hall lined with cells containing kidnapped aliens; children and babies crying, as elders of every race attempted to calm them. Lena and Jess pushed forward, proving to be far too much for the humans that attempted to subdue them. As, soon as the first cell opened, they gained four more able-bodied fighters, tipping the already stacked field even further to their favor. Each open cell offered more support, and soon the CADMUS agents didn't even bother to fight, simply turning and fleeing at the sight of a slew of angry aliens. Jess was out of breath, and a telltale gash above her left eye told of a very close call with a bullet, but she pressed on, helping Lena to drive off the last few CADMUS agents, as Astra and the newly freed aliens continued to open cells.

* * *

Lena breathed a sigh of relief as they finally exited the building; all of the aliens were free, and it appeared that no backup was coming. Hopefully, they'd just struck a whole lot of fear into the hearts of those CADMUS agents, and convinced them to cut-and-run for good. She shook the hands of multiple grateful aliens, who gushed about how the trio had saved them. Jess spoke of how the Guard of House El is here to protect all, not just the El family; a couple of the freed prisoners stated they should just change their name, and the trio simply chuckled. It was easier than facing the fact that this was no longer about protecting just Kara. They saw as many aliens home as they could, before returning to the penthouse, and finding a proud Jeramiah waiting with open arms. He'd taken the initiative to order as much take out as he found reasonable, and the three girls liked him even more for it.

* * *

The next day, Lena was back at work, sifting through CatCo's financials to ensure nothing was amiss; when she received a text

**9:57am**

**(Kara) Hey! I'm so sorry I haven't had a chance to catch up with you lately, everything's been crazy with all those CADMUS and Reign stories to write up! Are you free for lunch?**

It had, in fact, been over 6 weeks since the pair had had a chance to meet, so Lena was over the moon that her favorite blonde had contacted her.

_9:59am_

_(Lena) Then you should be resting! Can't have my favorite reporter burning herself out! So, how about dinner instead? I'll bring potstickers to your place, say, 8:00?_

She placed her phone down next to her, turning back to her work just in time for it to chime again

**10:00am**

**(Kara) See, this is why you're my favorite! I'd love that! See you at 8 xx**

Lena's heart raced a little, both at being the favorite of Kara Zor-El Danvers, and the kisses at the end. She shot off another quick reply, promising to be there 'with bells on' - and didn't she just hate herself for not re-reading before hitting send - and turned back to her work once more.

* * *

She had anticipated some awkwardness, with how long it had been since their last meeting, but was thrilled when Kara practically threw herself at the brunette, before launching into a rambling apology about missing her 'just so, so, somuch'. Lena simply smiled, hoping it was coming off as one of those flirty, completely disarming smiles. It did, as Kara quickly dropped her head and blushed, after her mouth came to a sudden stop all of its own volition.

"So, my most favorite of reporters" Kara blushed again as she turned and lead Lena to the kitchen "I have enough potstickers to feed a small army, as well as that disgustingly sweet ice-cream you seem to love, and I know you have a bunch of Netflix shows to get through, how do you want me?" If she was being completely honest, she was enjoying every second that the blonde spent blushing, and tried to remain cautiously optimistic for future possibilities, instead of frustratingly aroused at how simply adorable her cortex match was. Kara sputtered for a moment, before mumbling out 'lounge is fine, I'll get the drinks', and quickly turning to hide her face from the woman before her.

Lena set herself down on the couch and arranged the food so they could both reach. She'd purposely sat herself just left of center, meaning that no matter where Kara sat, they'd have to have skin contact. She knew it was petty, and a little bit seedy, but she really just wanted to curl up with the blonde and fall asleep in her arms, she needed that physical comfort from the blonde. Yesterday had been tough. Kara made her way back into the room, seemingly more composed (Lena had heard several slow, deliberate breaths with her super hearing, so she knew it had taken some effort) and beamed down at the brunette as she placed the glasses on the table. She then slumped into the spot on Lena's right, resting her knee against her friend's thigh, and Lena got a proper look at the blonde. There were bags under her eyes that - in Lena's opinion - had no business being there, and while she was trying hard, she wasn't quite as sunny as usual. It broke Lena's heart.

"So, how's work been, boss?" Kara teased, knocking her knee against Lena's thigh for good measure

"Careful, Kara. I'm not above firing you, you know" She teased back, relishing the giggle Kara returned.

"You wouldn't, ya love me too much!"  _If only you knew._ Her mind provided, but she just smiled back. Kara flicked on the TV and edged forward in her seat as the news showed a story about the new supers in town. It was titled 'Help or Hindrance', and Kara scowled

"They're a help, definitely! Look at what they've been doing while I...Supergirl's been recovering! How can these people think they're a hindrance?" Lena ignored the slip, she'd always wanted Kara to tell her herself.

"I don't know. I suppose it's like those who think Superman is a menace for how much damage he does. I disagree entirely, better a few extra taxes than being murdered or enslaved, but some people just see the bottom line" Kara had turned to face her, and seemed to be going over the idea in her head

"Do they think that about Supergirl, too?"

"Maybe, probably. There are always going to be people more concerned with their wallets than their lives. We call those people idiots. And idiots are not to be paid any mind. So try not to worry about it. These guys are obviously doing some good, whoever they are. So let the idiots think what they like, National City is safe, regardless of the state of their bank accounts. And that's what matters." Kara smiled, a real 'Sunny Danvers' smile, and leaned against Lena's shoulder

"Just another reason why you're my favorite"  _I wonder if that will remain true when you find out who I am._

The rest of the night continued with only one small hitch; Kara fell asleep, curled against Lena, even nuzzling into her neck and shoulder a few times. It was everything Lena could do just to remember how to breathe, but she finally manged to re-position the girl in her arms, and carry her to bed. The drive home had been filled with thoughts of how she was betraying her best friend, the girl she'd been in love with for what felt like her whole life.

* * *

"How the hell does Kara do it? I was only with her a few of hours and I could barely contain myself!" She'd grouched as she dropped her bag to the floor. Three pairs of eyes looked at her quizzically, before Jess snickered and Astra smiled devilishly at her. For some unknown reason, Jeramiah was now glaring at her

"So, we may have...accidentally...told Jeramiah of your feelings for Kara" Astra offered, and Jess giggled harder, now covering her mouth with both hands

"You bastards" She gasped, suddenly feeling like she should run, fast

"You're gonna have to keep that Super secret of yours a while longer, Lena. We need to have a good. Long. Talk" Jeramiah pointed to the kitchen as he headed towards it, and Lena trudged behind him, turning to glare at the two women who were now laughing wholeheartedly on her couch.


	6. Generally Secretive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so I'm not planning for this bad boy to go past 10 chapters, so we're gonna get started on some General Danvers this chapter.

The talk with Jeramiah had been harrowing, to say the least. He had threatened to tell Lillian about her mother's - and thus her - true nature if she ever hurt Kara, and frankly, that scared the shit out of her. He followed it up with a hug and a 'I can't think of anyone better in the world for Kara', but the damage had been done. She reminded herself to never cross the man.

She was currently in her office at L-Corp, researching Kryptonite in an attempt to figure out how to dampen it's effects for Kara and Astra alike; when Jess barged in without warning, quickly turning on the television screen and flicking over to the news. A DEO team, lead by Alex, was struggling against a particularly aggressive CADMUS creation, the telltale green glow ensuring Astra - who was currently their reserve while the other two worked - could not step in to help her 'Brave One'.

"Are you going, or should I?" Jess asked, turning to her boss

"I'll go, this research is frustrating, and that guy looks like a good punching bag. Hold down the fort?" Jess nodded her agreement as Lena moved to the balcony.

* * *

It was only a moment before she was at the scene, Alex and her team had been pushed back, and it was clear that Agent Danvers had taken a considerable amount of damage. She hovered above them for a moment, waiting for the agents to be clear enough for her to move in. Alex spotted her, and choked out an order for her team to fall back. She took the opportunity to slam fist-first into the monster's head, while he was trying to figure out the agent's motives; and it sent him flying into the pavement, completely unconscious.  _Well, that was disappointingly short lived_  she thought to herself as she made her way to the agents, despite the lack of a venting outlet.

Alex was now unconscious and in a bad way, and the DEO was far enough away that even with superspeed, she'd lose a considerable amount of blood, and possibly die. It was a risk Lena refused to take. She put on the best fake American accent she could muster - knowing she'd give herself away otherwise - and told the other agents to return to HQ, that she would take care of their CO. They seemed reluctant, but she had already picked the bleeding woman up, and floated into sky, careful not to jostle her too much. She didn't look back to see if the others had listened, she didn't have time to.

The penthouse was the closest safe place to treat the agent, and she knew both Astra and Jeramiah would be caught in the paradox of mightily pissed off, and devastatingly concerned, so she made a beeline for the high end apartment. Before she even stepped through the balcony door, Astra and Jeramiah were there, fussing over the unconscious woman in her arms, she growled out a quick 'move', and hurried to the secret room that had housed Jeramiah during his recovery, - he just sleeps on the couch now - and got straight to work on the wounds littering the young agent's body. Jeramiah and Astra hovered by the door, not sure how to help, and determined not to be in the way.

Sealing Alex's nicked carotid artery was the most difficult task, she couldn't stitch it, and surgical glue had trouble sticking to the damp wound; but she finally managed to get it closed properly, while allowing uninhibited bloodflow. After that, a series of small sutures was all it took to get the situation under control, and Lena breathed a sigh of relief as the heart monitor attached to the woman maintained a stable rhythm.

"She's stable, finally. It'll be a while before she wakes up, but as long as she's careful with that neck wound, she should be able to leave the day after tomorrow." The elder pair breathed a collective sigh of relief, and leaned against either side of the doorway. Astra conceded that Jeramiah should be the first to sit with the agent, and he shuffled into the room with a smile and a nod, before Lena lead Astra away by her elbow

"She'll be alright Astra. She's your 'Brave One', after all." Lena smiled, and Astra chuckled halfheartedly.

"I know, but that won't stop me worrying" She looked at the usually hidden doorway over her shoulder as she spoke, and Lena knew exactly how she felt. At least she could be by Alex's side, should she choose to reveal herself. With Kara maintaining her secret identity around the CEO, she couldn't offer the same support to the blonde just yet.

* * *

Alex didn't wake until the next morning, and wasn't that interesting to watch? Astra had taken up vigil by the agent's side shortly after Jeramiah had decided to sleep, and the woman had fallen asleep with her hand entwined with Alex's, and her head resting next to the woman's hip. She had shot up immediately upon hearing Alex stir, and stared hopefully at the younger woman. When she'd finally opened her eyes, she was gazing straight at Astra, and promptly burst into tears. Lena had been watching from the monitor on Alex's other side, she was just as baffled as Astra by the woman's seemingly random tears.

"S...so, I...I'm dead?" She'd finally croaked, staring straight at a confused Kryptonian, who slowly shook her head after her mind caught up with her ears.

"N...no. You're not dead, Brave One. Thanks to the Captain there" she pointed at Lena "You're alive and well. But do be careful with that neck wound" Alex blinked up at her, confused by the whole situation. She slowly turned to Lena, who offered a smile and a small wave, before turning back to the General.

"Wh...what?"

"I'll leave you two to it" Lena offered, smiling at the agent once more, before departing the room.

"I'm, kinda confused" Alex mumbled out shakily. Astra proceeded to tell Alex everything from when she woke up in the stasis tube, to that moment, not sparing any details when it came to Lena, Jess or Jeramiah

"So, I should probably try to like Luthor, huh? Since she seems to be in the habit of saving the people I love" Alex questioned. Astra cocked her head to the side as she eyed the younger woman

"Do...do I appear on that list?" It was easily the most unsure the agent had ever seen the General. She'd be lying if she'd said it wasn't completely endearing. She opted to change topics instead

"General, Astra, I killed you. I stabbed you through the chest with a Kryptonite sword. Why don't you hate me?"

"That's easy. You're on my list of people I love" Alex was dumbstruck, both by Astra's admission, and the debilitating smile currently aimed at her. She was saved by the impatient entrance of her father, who immediately fussed over her as she watched Astra quietly leave.

* * *

Astra entered the small room containing her Brave One the next morning, something from yesterday's conversation was bothering her, and she was determined to sort it out.

"Brave One, why do you hate the Captain?" Alex jumped slightly when the older woman spoke, but regained her composure quickly. She shrugged, and simply responded

"She's a Luthor"

"But she's not. Or, she wasn't always. We've spoken about this at length, Lena had a very happy, and I suppose you could say 'normal', upbringing for the first 10 years of her life. Before they killed her mother." Alex started at that, she hadn't been aware that Lena had any mother other than Lillian, or that she had been killed

"She was brought up with proper Kryptonian teachings, and taught to control her powers from a young age so that she could go to school and the like. She became a Luthor - and only by name - after being...what is that word?...Adopted! It was only after she was adopted that she became a Luthor. So any issues regarding her connection to the Luthor's are somewhat moot. What if she had been born a Danvers? Would you think she was 'evil'?" Astra questioned, raising an eyebrow as she awaited the young agent's response

"No. No I wouldn't. I didn't even know she was adopted. Her mother was Kryptonian?"

"She flies around saving people's lives, Alexandra. She shoots lasers from her eyes and ice from her mouth, you should be aware of all of this, so how is it that you find that surprising?" Astra's grasp on sarcasm had clearly improved.

"It's just...I'm so used to thinking of her as Lena Luthor, not Lena the half-Kryptonian hero. I think I may have misjudged her, greatly" Alex slumped on the bed, clearly disappointed in herself

"I've been judging her for the family she's not even really a part of" Astra was shocked when she saw a tear streak down her Brave One's face, and moved to wipe it away immediately

"Why does that make you cry, my Brave One?"

"It was the 'what if she'd been born a Danvers' comment. Kara is my sister, but if she'd been taken in by the Luthor's - not that they'd let an alien anywhere near them...God that must have been terrifying for Lena, growing up... - would I think differently of my little sister? Just because of that? I think Kara would always be sunny, happy Kara, even if she was stuck with the Luthor's, but would I consider her a bad person anyway, just because of her name? God, how horrible am I?" Alex pitched forward slightly, and buried her face in her hands as the tears fell

"You're not a bad person, Alexandra. Maybe a little quick to judge..." Alex looked up to scowl at her through tear stained eyes "...but in our professions, that can sometimes save a life. The thing that makes you a good person, is that you've seen your mistake, and will do what you can to fix it?" she asked, trying to coax the young woman's hands from her face. Alex finally sighed, allowing her hands to be taken by the General, and nodded her acceptance. Astra smiled at her again, that same smile as the day before, and Alex could feel the blush crawling up her cheeks

"Can I show you something, Brave One?" She was somewhat taken aback but the random change of topic

"uuh, sure thing?"

Astra gestured for the agent to wait where she was. Alex heard shuffling and a loud 'clunk' from the other room, before the General muscled a 2 foot wide globe through the doorway, plonking it down at the foot of Alex's bed.

"Um, what the hell is that?" Alex gingerly pointed at the sphere

"I thought you would quite appreciate this. It's the cortex" Astra beamed at the agent, who blinked twice, before turning to face the General

"As in...the cortex? The one that revealed a person's bond-mate on Krypton? Kara told me all about this! I thought it would be bigger, if I'm honest" Alex leaned forward carefully, as she surveyed the item before her while Astra nodded emphatically. The small hatch at the front opened, as it had for Astra, and awaited input.

"You place your hand in there, palm-up, and it will tell you who your bond-mate is"

"Will...will it work for humans?" Alex asked, already reaching towards the provided opening

"It works for the Captain, I see no reason why it wouldn't work for you" Astra replied. Honestly, she just wanted to get this part out of the way, knowing full-well what the cortex would say. She had always had a keen interest in the younger woman, and this offered the perfect opportunity to see how the eldest Danvers felt about pursuing that kind of relationship. She held her breath as Alex leaned forward just a little more, allowing her hand to slide into place within the cortex. As it had for Astra not all that long ago, a blue beam traveled over the expanse of her palm, and down her fingertips, as the device whirred through it's process.

"Astra In-Ze" The machine finally called. The woman in question eyed Alex, as she let that information settle in. Alex herself seemed to be stuck in shock, gazing at the device with wide eyes, before turning to face the now concerned looking General. It was another few moments before she asked

"You knew, didn't you?" she asked, devoid of any telling emotions. Astra responded by leaning towards the orb and replacing Alex's hand with her own, only removing it when the agent's name had been called

"I did. I'm sorry for revealing it to you this way, but I wanted you to know that there is someone here willing to take on the universe, if it means your safety. Apart from Kara, of course" Astra smiled at her Brave One, hoping to dull the hit at least a little. Alex turned back to the machine, seeming to contemplate the situation, before she reached over and grabbed Astra's hand, pulling it harshly so that the woman stumbled onto the bed behind her. She leaned back in the alien's arms and relaxed.

"You're, uh, taking this rather well, aren't you?" Astra mumbled from behind the agent

"You don't call me 'Brave One' for no reason, General. Although I admit, this is kinda terrifying. I only just figured out that I like women, then here comes my sister's aunt and I'm apparently bonded to her. Was it scary for you, with Non?"

"The cortex came after Non and I were wed, I don't know if that makes it more or less scary. But I think I would have preferred this, over a marriage arranged by my parents for political gain." Astra smiled into the younger woman's hair, thoroughly enjoying the natural scent of her bond-mate.

"I agree with you there. I don't know how Kryptonian customs work with this kind of thing, but, Astra; I want to get to know you better before we start anything serious. And let's face it, our history isn't great with the whole, you-were-kinda-a-bad-guy, and I sorta-stabbed-you, thing; we have a lot to learn about each other, and a lot of forgiving to do. Plus there's everything going on with CADMUS and Reign, and now knowing you guys are The Guard..."

"Is that what we're being called? just, 'The Guard?" Alex nodded her response, and Astra settled back into her hair nuzzling

"Yeah, and keeping that, as well as this, us from Kara, is gonna be a major pain in the ass"

"Do we need to keep it from Kara?"

"For now, yes. She's still recovering, and even if she doesn't know that you guys are The Guard, she still worries for your safety. She'll be beside herself with worry if she knows who you are, and honestly? I have absolutely no idea how she'll react to knowing you and I are bonded" Astra nodded into Alex's hair

"How do you think she'll feel when she finds out that she and Lena are bonded?" Alex could feel the cheeky smile, as much as she could hear it, and it's because of that that it took a second to comprehend what the General had said

"Wait...what?" Astra chuckled

"She and Lena are set to be bonded. Even before Kara landed on Earth, it seems. The data I've managed to read from the cortex shows years of daily input, all from Lena, all with the same result, that dates back to when she would have been 6 or 7 years old. Seems they are set to be together no matter what. It was an unexpected discovery. I was quite sure the cortex was bound to the planet it was on. But Kara was in the Phantom Zone when Lena first started checking. So it appears I was wrong" Alex simply hummed in response, and snuggled a little further into her General's arms.

"So, on the topic of, us, is there anything you would like to do for now, Brave One?"

"For now, I just want cuddles. You'll learn pretty quickly that I'm a sucker for cuddles when I'm injured or sick." She buried herself a little deeper in Astra's warmth "and to talk. I want to know about you, I want to tell you about me. Tell me your version of Krypton?" She had turned slightly to face the older woman, and was met with a soft smile

"Well..."

* * *

They talked about everything they could think of, and Alex found herself surprised with how easily they managed to fall into a conversational rhythm. Eventually, Lena coughed by the doorway and raised an eyebrow at the pair; Alex was now sitting across Astra's lap, head rested against a strong shoulder, while Astra nuzzled into her hair and laughed about something ridiculous Kara had done as a child. They didn't bother to separate as they waved the Captain into the room, Astra had already revealed that the rest of The Guard knew, including Jeramiah, and she'd been threatened with far more painful Kryptonite-based experiences, should she hurt the eldest Danvers sister. Alex had been surprised to learn that it was Lena who had made the threat, not Jeramiah. Although he did agree wholeheartedly to holding her down with his bionic prosthetic. She supposed it was probably her bond to Kara that made the CEO protective, they may well be sisters-in-law one day. So Alex reminded herself of her promise to try to make amends for her treatment of the other woman, and smiled at her for the first time

"How are you feeling, Agent Danvers?" Lena smiled as she looked over the monitors around the bed. Not for the first time, Alex noted that the smile was genuine.

"Ok. My throat is sore, but that's to be expected, given the circumstances." Lena and Astra both chuckled

"Undoubtedly. The surgical glue I used is a product I created for just such situations as these; it will promote rapid-healing through the use of nanotechnology, but it will still take a few days for you to be back at one hundred percent. That means no DEO work for at least a week after you leave here, Agent Danvers" Lena glared playfully at the agent, and Alex couldn't help but smile genuinely

"I think, given that apparently you and I may be sisters-in-law one day, you should just call me Alex, Lena" the agent retorted, matching the CEO's playful mood. Lena responded by glaring at Astra, who simply grinned wickedly in response.

"You're going to make me rue the day I saved your ass, aren't you?"

"Yes, yes I am" Astra beamed. Alex was struck by how comfortable she was. Previously, Astra and Lena had both been considered enemies, in her mind. In an instant, they had become like friends, maybe more, for Astra's part.

"You're making good progress on your recovery, Age...Alex. You can go home later tonight, but as I said, no DEO work, at least no field work. And...um...you can't tell Kara. About any of this. Not yet. You know how she worries" Lena's imploring eyes were reminiscent of a sad and adorable puppy, and Alex couldn't help but think  _good luck, Kara_  even as she nodded in agreement.


	7. Risking Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if you spot any plot holes, or inconsistencies! I'm kinda writing this between working 2 jobs and studying, so I just sorta follow my train-of-though when I write, means I miss a bunch of stuff. Let me know how I can make it better!
> 
> Also, italics is Kryptonese in this chapter

Lena was frustrated. In every sense of the word. The research she'd been doing on Kryptonite dampening technology had come to a standstill, there was a major issue with how CatCo was spending money, and she was desperately aroused; for reasons she couldn't quite fathom.

The giggles and soft moans coming from the guest room weren't helping, either.

They had gained Alex as a comrade, albeit in a lesser capacity than the rest of them, but in the two weeks since she'd been cleared to leave, the agent had become a LOT closer with the General. They spent every second they could together, and while Lena was happy for them, she was also strongly considering invoking a 'if I'm not getting, you're not getting any' rule. The pair's relationship did nothing but remind Lena of the fact that she couldn't be with her bond-mate, at least not for a while. Seeing them together made Lena's heart yearn for the same closeness that she knew was currently just out of reach. She tried desperately to focus on the sound of Jeramiah's soft snoring, coming from the lounge, but it was no use. She tried to focus on the financials for CatCo, but that was boring and easy to get distracted from. She eventually gave up and opted to go for a patrol flight, hoping that the pair would be done by the time she got back.

Taking a moment to allow her armour to settle across her body, she took a deep breath. She didn't hate flying as much as she let on, but it wasn't her favourite pastime, either. She stepped out onto the balcony and quickly checked around for paparazzi, only lifting off when she saw that the streets were devoid of camera toting Desperados. The only time she ever came close to enjoying flying, was late at night; when there were few people in need of saving, and she could focus on how pleasant it was to feel the wind in her hair. Seemed even villains enjoyed their sleep. She chuckled quietly to herself as an image of Metallo, curled up with a teddy bear and sucking his thumb, surfaced in her mind's eye. She was just about to get seriously into patrolling when she noticed that she'd drifted towards her best friend's apartment. And the lights were on. Using her X-ray vision, she discovered the girl sitting on the couch, laptop in hand, and typing a little more forcefully than is strictly necessary. Her super hearing picked up a groan of frustration. Concerned, she floated towards the window, tapping lightly on it with a single finger. Kara jumped, startled, before beaming at the armour-clad woman and opening the window

"Hey, hi! Come in!" She greeted excitedly, and Lena drifted into the room. She made a show of looking around, as if she was taking the place in for the first time. Kara gave her an appraising once-over, before bowing her head and smiling shyly

"I think I owe you an apology" she stated, continuing when the Captain simply cocked her head and raised an eyebrow, just visible below the top of her helmet.

"You're not Elena, are you? You're a little shorter than she is" Lena shook her head. She and Astra had talked about if ever Lena may need to speak to Kara as the Captain, and had decided that the best way for her to hide her accent around the blonde, was to speak in Kryptonese. The language curled around her tongue easily

 _"She was my mother"_ Kara's eyes had misted when Lena began speaking, the fluency of her lost language bringing tears to her eyes

 _"Oh, really?"_ The tears were still very obviously there, but she had responded with such excitement that Lena thought she might start bouncing around like a puppy. It only took a moment for the past-tense response to click with the blonde, and she smiled sadly

" _Was?"_ Lena nodded, matching the Super's sad smile

" _She passed when I was a child"_ Kara's face held nothing but compassionate sympathy

" _I'm so sorry. She was a dear friend of mine, looked out for me when I was growing up"_

 _"I know. She told me the stories of the cheeky little princess Kara Zor-El."_ Lena teased, as Kara blushed in response

" _I wasn't a princess, not really_ "

" _According to human culture, you would be just that."_ Kara huffed out an indignant sigh as she crossed her arms across her chest. She was definitely acting like a princess, but Lena didn't mind, as long as she got to keep her.

" _Would you like to come with me to visit her? She was buried on earth, no funeral pods. It was what she wanted"_ Lena ventured. She knew her mother meant a lot to Kara, as Kara had meant a lot to her mother. She held her hand out to her friend, and floated a few inches off the ground. The blonde wasted no time in taking the proffered hand, smiling up at the now hovering woman.

" _I would love to"_

They flew to the Metropolis public cemetery, and landed facing the gravestone of the woman they had come to see. It had been many years since Lena had visited her mother's grave, and she felt as if maybe she somehow wasn't welcome here anymore. Kara seemed to sense her concern, and laced their hands together. The blonde bowed her head at the grave marker and spoke a short few words, praising the woman, thanking her, and wishing her peaceful rest. After a short while, Lena flew them back towards National City, landing on top of Kara's apartment building, instead of back inside her apartment. The blonde laughed as she disengaged from the Captain.

" _N_ _ow I know what it feels like for the person I'm saving!_ " She giggled, before her mood turned somber again.

" _Can I ask, what happened to Elena?"_ Lena nodded as she took a seat at the edge of the building, swinging her legs over the side as she gazed out at the city.

" _She was shot. Kryptonite bullets and all. To this day I have no idea who was behind it. It is the most horrible memory I have, seeing her blood, mixed with liquid Kryptonite, oozing out onto the floor"_ she paused, breathing deeply. It was the first time she was ever telling someone what she'd seen of her mother's death, but she didn't trust anyone more that Kara, so she pressed on

" _I still have nightmares, sometimes. Not as many as when I was a child, of course. At least they don't manifest in screams and thrashing anymore. My adoptive mother saw to that"_ she finished with a snarl. At some stage, Kara had sat down next to her, and seemed to be emanating a similar amount of fury

" _What did she do?"_

 _"Whenever I would wake up screaming and crying, she would spank me until I stopped. As a child I suppose I just accepted it. Now I'd like to throttle the hag. I won't, of course, but Rao is it tempting."_ Kara had actually giggled at that, much to Lena's surprise.

" _If you ever get the chance, can I help? Excuse my French - or, English, in this case - but your adoptive mother sounds like a_ bitch!" Lena laughed wholeheartedly at the comment, nodding as joyous tears flowed across her cheeks

" _You are not wrong, princess"_ she managed to get out between bouts of laughter.

" _Your Kryptonese is perfect, did Elena teach you?"_ Kara giggles, apparently enjoying the moment

" _Mmhmm, it is my first language, so sometimes it comes easier than English."_ Kara beamed at her, seemingly elated with the news. Lena however, needed to put the blonde right about a very important matter

" _And you, princess, need to be more careful with your secret identity. Granted I already knew, but what if I hadn't? You apologised for something Supergirl said, while dressed in civilian clothes. Be more careful, Zor-El"_ she had started off teasingly, but ended seriously, concerned about Kara's wellbeing if she was so flippant with something as important as her secret identity. For her part, Kara's eyes widened and she covered her now gaping mouth with her hand.

" _Rao! I didn't even think! How stupid of me! I just assumed you knew, you know? I mean, why wouldn't you know? You're the Captain of the Guard of House El, my house, and if anyone were going to inherently know, it would be you! But what if you were an imposter? Oh, Rao, I'm such an idiot!"_ She rambled on, only stopping when Lean placed an arm on her shoulder.

" _That is why I am reminding you to be cautious, princess. Do you know why I'm speaking in Kryptonese, instead of English, as by now you're more accustomed to?"_ It was a risky move, revealing her need to hide her accent, but it was worth it if she could convince the Super to be more careful about her secret identity. Kara shook her head

" _First and foremost, I thought it might be a pleasant reminder of home for you, but it also hides my accent, which is just unique enough that you'd likely discover my secret identity before I'd finished my first sentence"_ Kara nodded as she processed the information, that adorable brow crinkle on show

" _Wait, does that mean, I know you? Or more, your secret identity?"_ Lena shrugged, not willing to give it away too soon

" _Maybe. Maybe we spend a lot of time together, maybe we're passing acquaintances, maybe I serve you coffee every morning. I'm certainly not telling, although you're welcome to guess. However, I can't guarantee that I'll tell you if you guess correctly"_ Kara immediately began scrutinising every inch of the Captain that she could see. After a few moments, she answered with two words that made the Captain's stomach drop

"Lena Luthor." Lena retained her composure well, cocking her head to the side as she thought of her response

" _Why would you suggest Lena Luthor?"_  Kara took a moment to think, her lips squishing over to one side of her face like an awkward duck face selfie

" _She's the most heroic person I know. She faces the media, humans and aliens alike who hate her; her brother is frequently trying to kill her, and her mother keeps trying to recruit her for CADMUS. But she stays strong. Always smiling, always trying to make the world a better place. She's my hero, for sure. So, while its pretty unlikely that you're her, I don't think I'd be surprised in the slightest if you were."_ Lena was having a lot of difficulty holding the tears back, as her best friend rattled off the reasons why Lena Luthor - why she - was her hero, but she managed, nonetheless. Kara looked at her expectantly

" _I told you I wasn't going to tell you, either way, so you can stop looking at me like that, princess"_ Kara couldn't see her grin, apart from the crinkles at her eyes, but she grinned back anyway, before pouting playfully

" _You're no fun"_

 _"I'll show you fun, Zor-El"_ Lena giggled as she grabbed the blonde and dove off the rooftop, getting dangerously close to the ground before shooting back up into the sky. Kara screamed and laughed the whole time, whooping joyously as they barrel-rolled and loop-the-looped through the clouds. Lena held the Kryptonian close as they slowed down, now practically ambling through the fluffy whites around them

" _Zor-El?"_ A particularly content sounding grumble came from the woman pressed to her chest

" _This, Lena Luthor, what does she mean to you?"_ She knew she shouldn't. Knew she shouldn't take advantage of the anonymity her half-mask gave her, but she desperately wanted to know, and it was unlikely that Kara would say it to her face. Kara answered after a moment of contemplation

" _She is my person. The one I look up to; the one I want to impress, make happy...protect. Her smile is my sunlight, her tears are my thunderstorms, her eyes are my moonlight, and her hugs are my happy place. I'm pretty sure that if the cortex was still around, it would choose her for me, and me for her. She is my person"_ Kara's voice was heavy with conviction and meaning, and Lena's heart swelled for it. She was thankful that Kara's powers had yet to make a return, even after the concerning period of time, because otherwise, she'd be able to hear the rapid heartbeat below her ear.

" _I would be very surprised if you weren't the same for her"_ she finally responded, thankful that her voice had somehow remained steady. Kara snuggled into her chest a little further and hummed out a 'I hope so'

Before long, they were back at Kara's apartment, Lena setting her down softly while remaining floating just above the ground. The blonde was obviously sleepy, yawning as the Captain turned to leave

" _Wait!"_ She turned back to the Super, raising an eyebrow in question

" _You're not Elena, but you never told me what to call you?"_

 _"...Captain, for now. In time you'll know my real name, but with both CADMUS and Reign in play, I think it's best I keep that secret a little longer."_ Kara looked disappointed, but quickly regained her sunny disposition.

" _Ok, Captain, but I'll hold you to that promise. Once either Reign or CADMUS is taken down, I want to know your name"_ Lena nodded as she turned once again to leave, bidding her best friend goodnight as she turned to watch the blonde close the window behind her. She flew home quickly, patrolling and frustrations long forgotten, slipping into bed once her armour had condensed itself back into her necklace. She thought of how the night had gone, and longing settled itself in her soul. She didn't know if Kara knew for sure that it was her, but it was heartwarming to know that the blonde believed in her that much. As tears slipped down her cheeks at the thought of Kara's explanation of her feelings towards the CEO, she made a promise to Rao that the next time she faced CASDMUS or Reign, they were going down for good. She didn't want to hide from the woman she loved anymore.


	8. Close Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK, we have some pretty brutal fight scenes in this chapter guys, so I'm warning you now.

She had met with Kara, flying her across the city in a swirl of impressive maneuvers, for the next three nights; laughing and talking with the hero as they grew closer. Kara had, on more than one occasion, sighed heavily as they had landed in her apartment at the end of their adventures, Lena didn't need to ask why, she knew the Super missed her powers greatly. At first, it had worried Lena to no end, the fact that Kara had yet to regain her Kryptonian might; but Kara had smiled, and told her that she hadn't needed to face any adrenaline-inducing situations, thanks to the work of The Guard. She was pleased for the good Lena and the others were doing, but Lena could tell that she really wanted to be in the thick of it, helping people and flexing her muscles.

In a desperate attempt to divert the blonde's attention to anything else in the world, she asked about a topic she really didn't want to talk about

 _"Were you not in a relationship with that Daxamite man?"_ Kara eyed her for a moment, before laughing humorlessly.

_"If you could call it that. I was only really with him because everyone expected me to be. He's not my person. I loved him, sure, but he was never my person"_

_"That's Lena Luthor, yes?"_ She was glad, in a terrible sort of way, that Kara showed no lasting affection for the frat-boy Mon-El. And although she knew Kara's opinion on her already, she did so love to hear it from the blonde's own beautiful lips

_"Mmhmm. Although I have to admit, I'm far too cowardly to confess that to her. I'm kinda hoping that if it ever happens, she makes the move on me. I may be Supergirl, but I'm kinda spineless without the suit, and she doesn't know I'm her...Supergirl, I mean"_

_"She means so much to you, but you have yet to tell her you're Supergirl? Do you not trust her?"_ This was an opportunity that Lena couldn't let slip. She'd been wondering for a while now about why the blonde hadn't confessed her Super secret, and it had worried her that the Luthor name had already done some damage here.

 _"What? Of course I do! It's just, I've told you before about her crazy family, and then there's the insane amount of aliens and humans alike who hate her for what her family has done; it would be putting her in more danger, if I told her. What if her brother found out she knows the identity of Supergirl? What would the people who already despise her think? Would they think she's exploiting me? Brainwashing me? Probably. I don't want to put even more pressure on her"_ She shrugged as she finished her mini-rant, looking over to the Captain to gauge her reaction. Lena was relieved, but tried not to let it show, instead nodding solemnly in response.

 _"She's lucky to have you, Kara Zor-El. Even if she doesn't know the truth of who you are."_ It was true. Lena officially didn't care if Kara never told her, the explanation telling her that trust was not the issue, but fear for her safety. If that was the case, she could go her whole life without ever seeing Kara reveal the crest of the House of El right before her eyes.

 _"I will, though. One day. Maybe when this whole mess is dealt with. Oh! I've been meaning to thank you for saving Alex! Sorry it took so long, I guess I kinda get caught up talking to you"_  Lena simply nodded to show the blonde she'd heard her, before turning to head towards the window

 _"You should sleep, princess. It is late. I will see you again, when I can."_ Kara nodded and waved a tiny goodbye, watching as the Captain floated through her open window, before closing it behind her, and shutting the drapes as the guardian flew off.

* * *

The next night did not allow time for visiting her best friend. She had made a breakthrough with the Kryptonite dampening technology earlier in the day, and had been working feverishly to complete it ever since. Kara was out of the game for now, but Astra wasn't, and according to the CADMUS hack they had maintained, they were on the move. Lena had taken to chanting a mantra of 'CADMUS will fall', as she edged closer to completing the device, an effort to keep her tired, bloodshot eyes from falling closed for the night. Jess, while now more a familial-type friend, was till her secretary, and had made an effort to ensure her boss and Captain was still eating, and taking breaks, however short they may be. Lena couldn't be more grateful.

It was exactly 2:39 am when the completed device sat before her. She had made Astra's to appear as an additional, complimentary pendant to the one which held her armour. the technology simply appeared to be a small, teardrop shaped garnet, but the power of it was magnificent. She had discovered long ago that Kryptonite gave off its own unique UV signature, and so far, the little device managed to create a shield like barrier against that in all tests. But she had to be sure it would work for Astra before she let the General use it in the field. Knowing that Alex was over, and she would either find herself face-to-face with two naked women - or the barrel of a gun - should she try to wake Astra now, she opted to go to bed. Tests could resume tomorrow when she returned from work.

* * *

Work was slow today, thankfully. Lena had a splitting headache from the late-night inventing, and subsequent lack of sleep, and was just shoving some ibuprofen into her mouth - her alien physiology meant the stuff never worked, even if she could manage to land herself with a headache, but she hoped for a placebo effect, at least - when a smiling reporter knocked on the already open door. The blonde took on a look of concern as she watched her friend down the pills

"Are you ok, Lena? Not to be mean, but you kinda look like hell!" Lena chuckled in response, before wincing at the pain it caused

"I'll be fine, Kara. Just a headache" Kara looked skeptical for a moment, but eventually moved to the seat across from Lena's desk, dumping two bags of Chinese take out on the desk.

"As long as you're sure. Don't make me get Jess to send you home" The stern look on her favorite reporter's face sent the CEO into a giggling fit, and Kara pouted in response.

"Oh, Kara, you're just too cute sometimes" Honestly, Lena had no idea how the adorable woman could pull-off the badass attitude that came with the Supergirl persona, but she was impressed by the hero's acting abilities. Kara blushed and mumbled out an 'am not' before she started shuffling through the take-out bags.

"I brought lunch, because I know you probably haven't eaten. And I feel like I haven't seen you in forever!" Lena smiled sheepishly

"Sorry, Kara. I've been working on a new project, it's sort of taken up most of my time. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Pfft, yes. Of course! But only if you tell me about this new project, off the record, of course" She smiled cheekily. Lena chuckled in response

"Well, Supergirl is weak to Kryptonite, yes?" Kara blanched slightly before nodding almost imperceptibly.

"I'm building a small device which will protect her from the effects of all forms of it. We both know my dear mother is partial to using the stuff, and I hate for our hero to be in such danger, so I'm trying to remove that danger for her. God knows it's easier than trying to find and destroy all the Kryptonite available. Stuff keeps popping up everywhere." Lena had never told Kara, or Supergirl, about her secret Kryptonite disposal routine

"Lena, have...have you been seeking out, and disposing of Kryptonite?"

"Of course. Maxwell Lord, Lex, my mother and countless others who don't actually know what they're dealing with, have access to it. The less that can be found on the market, the better. It's safer for Supergirl, and for the members of The Guard" She shrugged. Kara took a moment to comprehend the admission, before breaking out into a massive grin

"That's amazing, Lena! Supergirl will proudly use whatever device you make for her! I know it!" Lena beamed back at the blonde

"But, uh, how will you get it to her? She's been AWOL for a while now." Kara looked ashamed about that, and hung her head

"She's burnt out her powers, has she not? Lex's notes contained something about how a Super could overuse their powers to the point of temporary loss. She'll be back, when her powers return. In the meantime, I have a certain...armour clad friend...who can get it to her." the blonde looked utterly ecstatic for a moment, before she composed herself once more

"You know one of The Guard?" She asked excitedly, knee bouncing in place

"The Captain in particular, but I've met the others as well. Seems I know all the right Supers." Lena smiled in response. She was playing with fire, but Rao did she love to see the reporter all smiley and excited. Kara bounced in her seat for a moment, before being overtaken by thought. Apparently a horrifying one, if her face was anything to go by

"S-she...uh...hasn't said anything about...uh...Supergirl...has she? I know they've spoken at length on more than one occasion" Lena now had a very good idea of what was bothering Kara, and giggled

"We're not that close, Kara. She comes to check up on me, I assume because it's what Supergirl would do, but we're not at a secret sharing level" Kara seemed to deflate with relief

"Well that's...uh...good. I think Supergirl is allowed to have some secrets. She seems pretty happy being able to speak to someone in her language though" Kara beamed again.

The rest of the impromptu lunch break went without further mention of the Krytonian heroes - who happened to be sitting across from each other - and Lena noted that her headache had evaporated in the presence of her best friend. She was now looking forward to testing the new technology she had waiting at home.

* * *

Being impervious to Kryptonite, didn't mean that she was going to be careless with it. She wore thick, lead-lined gloves as she removed the large green rock from it's lead-lined box, setting it down across from Astra, who was intently studying the red pendant Lena had attached to the necklace she wore. minutes passed as Astra continued to gaze at her new accessory, holding it to the light, and twirling it between her fingers.

"How do you feel?" Astra finally turned and immediately shied away from the rock, before her brow furrowed and she instead pitched forward.

"Perfectly fine" she responded distractedly, as she pressed a finger to the glowing hunk, pulling away quickly before testing it again.

"Great! So far so good for short-term exposure to the green! Let's try red next" Lena responded, quickly shuffling the green Kryptonite back into the box it came from. She pulled another box from the under-bench cupboard she'd placed the first back into. A quick check by Astra confirmed that this box was lead lined, too. Lena carefully retrieved the red Kryptonite and placed it where she had previously put the green specimen. Again, Astra had no reaction. They tried several other types as well, just to be safe, results the same with each new rock. Lena smiled as she finished jotting down her notes

"I think, General, that it's about time we wreaked some havoc for the likes of CADMUS and Reign" her smile was particularly mischievous, and Astra easily matched it, nodding almost wildly as she did. They called Jess over to begin strategizing, opting for an 'attack is the best defense' approach.

* * *

The next morning, Kara stumbled upon a box atop her kitchen island, which had most certainly not been there when she went to bed. Upon further inspection, it appeared that there were two notes resting under the corner of the box closest to Kara's bedroom door. The first was written in elegant Kryptonese, and read:

_Zor-El, my apologies for entering your home without permission, but you were sleeping when I arrived, and this is important. Please ensure you wear it at all times_

The next note was in familiar cursive that warmed Kara's heart.

**Supergirl, I'm sorry I've had to use a messenger to get this to you, but you have been rather absent recently (I am aware that you have "blown" your powers for now, so please don't feel bad for that). This device will allow you to take on CADMUS' creations, without the adverse affects of the Kryptonite they often carry. The Captain suggested I model it as such; she mentioned a lost family heirloom, and while I know this won't replace such a treasured item, I hope its weight is comforting, nonetheless**

**Lena Luthor**

Kara opened the small box and gasped. Inside, was what appeared to be an exact replica of her mother's necklace. The one she had given to Mon-El when she had sent him away. It was one of her biggest regrets, and she had confided that in one of her late-night talks with the Captain. However, she had not described the necklace to the armoured guardian. It was Lena who had noticed the heirloom's sudden disappearance, and it was Lena who had noted a love of the deep blue pendant.

Something began to fall into place in Kara's mind, and she endeavored to investigate the idea over lunch with her favorite CEO. There were more than a few passing similarities between the Captain and the businesswoman, and Kara began to wonder if maybe she'd been right in her initial assessment of the woman. She panicked as she remembered the things she'd said to the Captain, about the Luthor. Breathing deeply, she clipped the necklace into place and turned to ready herself for work. There was no point in worrying. She may be wrong, after all.

* * *

Lena was very lucky that her secretary was a similar height while wearing her armour. She was even more lucky that the woman had picked up enough Kryptonese to get through a short conversation with Kara. Jess had heard Kara's rather blunt question, "are you the Captain of the Guard?", and had made a quick exit via the roof to float down to Lena's balcony and help her boss out. It wouldn't do well to tell Kara the truth yet. Whatever CADMUS was planning, it was big, and it was gonna hurt; Lena would hate to make the blonde worry. Kara had been completely convinced, even joining in when Lena started laughing about how she couldn't possibly be the woman in question. After the reporter left, the remaining pair breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was bloody close, Jess! Thank you for stepping in"

"No problem, I just hope I was convincing enough." Lena nodded, and Jess allowed her armour to fold back in on itself.

"Luckily, Kara is quite easily pleased. I only hope she can forgive me when the real truth comes out" Lena replied worriedly.

* * *

That night, Lena found time to float to Kara's window once more, finding the blonde already staring out with a smile on her face. Upon opening the window, she immediately asked what was on her mind

 _"How did you know what my mother's necklace looked like? I told you I regretted giving it away, but I never told you what it looked like"_ Lena almost panicked, but her intellect and abilty to lie through her teeth saved her

 _"My mother told me about it, said it had been important to your mother. I didn't even know you had it until you told me you regretting letting Mon-El take it with him. Was my description close enough to the real thing?"_ Honestly, she should be an actress. She had managed to turn the situation around completely, and Kara beamed at her

_"Yes, it's almost exactly the same, thank you so much! Did Lena mention anything, when you suggested it?"_

_"She said she had seen something similar on her best friend, but beyond that, no."_ Kara's smile was small, and a little sad

 _"I was kind of hoping she'd figure it out"_ She pouted. The Captain reached forward and placed her hand on the blonde's shoulder.

 _"Even if she did, she strikes me as the kind of person that wouldn't push you about it. I think she'd prefer to hear you say it."_ This was true, of course, and she hoped in some small way that it spurred the reporter into 'coming out', as it were. Kara laughed and nodded.

_"Can I talk to you about something else? It's just something bothering me, would you mind?"_

_"Of course"_

_"Well, I think my sister is seeing someone. She keeps disappearing, and when she shows up again, she's all smiley and weird."_  Kara made a face as she thought of how oddly her sister had been acting, before she turned to the couch, gesturing for the Captain to follow. It was the first time Lena had been invited to sit with Kara in her own home as the Captain, usually they just sat on rooftops. She ambled over to the couch anyway, and plopped down; purposely avoiding the careful way she would usually set herself. Kara giggled

_"Is it a bad thing? Your sister seeing someone?"_

_"No, of course not, I'm just worried about her. She's usually really open about this stuff, but she seems to be trying to keep this a secret, and I have no idea why."_ Kara huffed, crossing her arms across her chest as she sank further into the soft cushions

 _"Maybe she doesn't want to...jinx...it? Maybe it's just a meaningless fling? Maybe she just wants to have a little secret all of her own, who knows? But I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready"_  Lena was having difficulty not bursting out with 'she's at my place, shagging your aunt', but she managed to hold her tongue. Kara seemed to contemplate the Captain's response, before she smiled slightly and nodded.

 _"You're right. And she's allowed to have secrets. I just want her safe, you know?"_  Lena nodded in response. They continued to talk, about all manner of things, until Kara's eyes began to slide shut. Lena bid her favorite person goodnight, before slipping out of the window and into the darkness once more.

* * *

It was less than 24 hours later when CADMUS made their move; several abominable creations tearing through the streets, attacking every alien they found, and in the peak of evening travel, too. There were multiple casualties, and several deaths by the time The Guard got to the scene, and they hadn't even taken 5 minutes to arrive. The rampant destruction was clearly disorganised. It was like CADMUS had just opened all the doors and said 'kill anything that isn't human'. Lena supposed that may actually be the case.

 **"OK girls, we've got two big boys down near the public hospital, they have some pretty huge Kryptonite cores on them, but they're slow moving. Jess, your agility should overwhelm them relatively easily, but stay clear of their attacks, we'll need you in for the long haul"** Jeramiah was on comms, watching the situation through nearby CCTV cameras, that the DEO apparently had access to. Lena was quite sure Mr. Schott had some part in that. Jess nodded and headed towards the hospital in question.

 **"Astra, I have one really big guy heading towards the elementary school; from what I can see, his Kryptonite core is small, but don't be fooled. We haven't tested the long-term endurance of the dampener, so make quick work of him."** Astra grunted her reply, and placed a hand on Lena's shoulder, nodding once before speeding of to the elementary school.

 **"Lena, I saved the best for last; I have the real Hank Henshaw, and your mother down by the town hall. They have a few grunts with them, but they'll be easily taken out. Still, please be careful"**  Lena looked to the camera closest to her and nodded, before floating into the air and pushing on towards the town hall.

Within moments, she stood before her adoptive mother and her goons. The Luthor matriarch barely looked at her before issuing the very simple 'tear her to pieces' order. Six men, all with glowing green Kryptonite cores embedded in their chests, surrounded her. She fell into stance immediately, watching as the atrocities encircled her. It was unwise to make the first move, she knew this, so she simply waited, and watched as the men jostled around her. Suddenly, one surged forward, fist raised to connect with her face. She sidestepped him, as she raised her leg to his face with such force that his momentum stopped altogether, and he crumpled to the floor. The five remaining grunts closed ranks around her; and she eyed each one warily, honing her super hearing to focus on only the men around her, waiting for one of them to make a move. The one directly behind her was next to go, and she easily side-stepped again, planting her fist in the back of his head as he stumbled passed her. He fell on top of his already unconscious comrade. The other men finally seemed to realise that this wasn't going to be as easy as they had thought, and looked at each other as if planning. Lena anticipated their actions, figuring the four would try to gang up on her, and braced herself for the impending dogpile. She had been right, and in an impressive show of agility, managed to flip over the one rushing her from behind, just as all four men rushed forward. She hovered above them as they collided with one another, effectively knocking each other out. She would have laughed, had the situation not been so serious. She turned to face her now seething mother.

"I don't know how you are unaffected by the Kryptonite, Kryptonian scum, but no matter. Cyborg Superman, kill her". The nonchalance that came with the order disturbed the Captain. She knew the woman was absolutely crazy, but she had apparently not realized the depth of that insanity. 'Cyborg Superman' -  _what a ridiculous name,_  she thought - advanced on her, his cybertronic eye glowing fiercely in the now twilight. She knew from the DEO's files that this man had military training, and with her mother's...upgrades...she was sure he packed an even harder punch than in his DEO days. She dropped to stance once more, content to survey the man for any weak spots as she awaited his attack. The most likely weak point, she theorized, is the tech he's been altered with. She decided her best option would be to disengage the prosthetics from their anchor points, in the hopes that the logic board they are no-doubt connected to would fail. He wouldn't die, but he would be out of action indefinitely. This meant that she would essentially have to rip the man's eye out, and that thought made her uneasy, but if it would help bring an end to CADMUS as a whole, she would scoop his good eye out with a rusty spoon as well, just to be sure.

Minutes passed as the two stared each other down, and Lena wondered if he was also considering scooping her eyes out with a rusty spoon. She decided that his thoughts were likely darker than Lena was every willing to even consider. So lost in thought was she, that she almost missed the minute twitch that signalled the former agent's attack. He surged forward with a grunt, intent on plowing his fist into her ribs. She blocked with ease, catching the other fist that had swung in a hook meant to catch her unawares with her free hand. The cyborg appeared shocked by the move - or the strength, she wasn't quite sure - and attempted to pull away from the armoured threat. Lena quickly twisted him around, pinning his prosthetic arm behind him, and reaching her now free left hand forward to capture the edge of his metal eye plate. She pulled, eliciting a grunt of apparent pain from the former agent. His struggles became more fervent, he was panicking. Lena was forever grateful the Astra and Jess, for their perfect training techniques, without them, she would likely be dead right now. Hank Henshaw struggled under her grip, and Lena realised that she was losing her grip on the man. With a grunt of her own, she wrenched at the metal plate again, feeling it give beneath her fingertips. She heard the man grind out a 'no!' as she yanked once more, finally tearing the plate from its place. She crushed it in her hands as the now thrashing man finally struggled free of her grip. The man's face was now hollow where the cyber-prosthetic had rested, and Lena fought the urge to be sick; both because of the view, and because of what she'd just done. She stayed focused, dropping into a defensive stance as she watched the man gather himself for another run at her.

She could see Lilian, just over the shoulder of the heavily altered man in front of her. She looked quite green herself, but fearful as well. Apparently, Lena's rather brutal take down had not been expected in the slightest. The dark part of Lena that surfaced on occasion chuckled inwardly at the sight of the proud Luthor cowering in fear. Henshaw twitched in her periphery, and she readied herself for the attack. He tried to rush her again, prosthetic arm lifting to meet with her face. She wondered idly if Lilian had somehow wiped his memory of the training he must have undergone as a government agent, because this was ridiculously easy. She allowed the metal fist to get to mere millimeters away from its target before she used her superspeed to grab the appendage, and twist it behind his back once more. This time, putting for more effort into hyper-extending the joint to disengage it's wiring. She pushed him onto the ground and straddled him to gain more leverage, further twisting the arm out of place as she leaned her whole weight into pushing the prosthetic into a wholly unnatural position. She could hear the metal groan and complain under the pressure, and the former agent writhed uselessly beneath her as he wailed. She felt horrible, of course, but this was a wholly necessary evil. Finally, the metal gave way, and Henshaw's movements stilled. She checked his pulse to be certain, and was relieved when it still beat a standard rhythm. She then stood, casting the now useless prosthetic away as she turned to her adoptive mother. Lilian was cowering, whimpering in fear as the soldier stepped up to her. Lena even saw a tear. She bent down and hoisted the vile woman up by her shirtfront, glaring at the older woman, before announcing in flawless Kryptonese

 _"CADMUS will fall" _Lilian whimpered once more, before she started begging and pleading for the Captain not to hurt her. Lena shut the noise out and flung the woman over her shoulder, holding her firmly in place as she bent down to collect the unconscious Hank Henshaw. She lifted into the air and turned towards the DEO headquarters.

* * *

J'onn Jones had greeted her in his Martian form, taking Henshaw himself and allowing his agents to tranquilize and incarcerate a now sobbing Lilian Luthor. He nodded once, as he turned and strode off down the hall with the cyborg practically dragging behind him. Lena assumed that was a 'thanks'. Lena went back out to aide her comrades with the remaining monstrosities, eventually capturing every creature that had been let loose.

By the time they were done, Lena was exhausted, for obvious reasons, and fell into a deep sleep quickly. Dreaming of a day when she could just relax and curl up on the couch with Kara

* * *

The next day only brought more work. The damage from CADMUS' attack was widespread, and The Guard was front and center in the cleanup efforts. Aliens and humans alike had joined to aide their heroes in the aftermath of the devastation, and it warmed Lena's heart to see everyone working together so easily. After another day of hard physical labor, made harder by the bruises her body had sustained in yesterdays 'CADMUS creature roundup' - Jess's phrase, not hers - Lena honestly just wanted to soak in the bath for, like, eternity. The group had been chatting among themselves as the night wore on, Lena and Jess with wine in hand - regular alcohol gave Lena a little buzz, at least, and that was perfect right now - Astra was laughing at something Jess had said, and Jeramiah was sitting in the lay-z-boy with a glass of scotch. But relaxation took a backseat as the television flickered on of it's volition. A quick check with her super hearing told Lena that this was happening everywhere. The group looked at each before they turned their attention to the screen before them, where a woman sat, smirking.

Reign

"I hereby issue a challenge, to the Captain of the Guard of House El. You have proven to be a worthy opponent, Captain, and I wish to remove you from my world before you get the chance to become a thorn in my side. Meet me atop the tallest tower of National City at Eleven tonight, or I will raze this city to the ground, along with everyone in it." The transmission ended abruptly, and the group fell silent, all turning to Lena, who was obviously slightly shaken. She, specifically, had been called out, by a woman who may well be far stronger than her. But the threat the woman left them with meant that she couldn't back down, not with so many lives at risk. She took a deep breath and looked over at the clock near the door. 9:46 pm. She had some time to compose herself for her upcoming battle on the rooftop of L-Corp - because of course her building had to be the tallest - so she opted to sit and meditate, to clear her mind and prepare herself.

At 10:23 pm, she raised herself from her place on the ground, her comrades staring at her cautiously - none had spoken a word since the transmission began. She made her way towards the balcony

"I'm going to collect Kara and get her to the DEO. I want you all to stay out of this. Create a perimeter to keep civilians safe, but otherwise, I'm doing this alone." The others nodded, Jess and Astra standing to begin the process of clearing the area. Jeramiah moved to the laptop, muttering about letting the DEO know not to get involved. Lena left before the others, heading straight to Kara's apartment. The window was already open, the blonde pacing back and forth in front of it, wringing her hands together. Lena floated in easily, startling the blonde who immediately attempted to burst into some rambling explanation as to why she shouldn't face the villain. Lena simply picked her up, and flew quickly to the DEO, ignoring Kara's protests along the way. Alex was waiting for them, and Lena assumed that Jeramiah had updated the agent of the situation. She nodded at Lena before, with some effort, she dragged Kara into the building. It was 10:49 pm by now, and Lena took a steadying breath as she turned to face the building that she considered her 'baby'.

She arrived at precisely 10:59 pm, landing at the North edge of the rooftop, having seen Reign already standing at the South side. The woman smirked at her, before the evil grin cracked across her lips

_"Hello, Captain..."_


	9. Secrets Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a pretty long fight scene - hopefully it's decent, usually I skim right past them when I read, so I hope I've done a semi-decent job with it.
> 
> Enjoy guys :-)

 

Neither woman had made a move since Lena touched down on the roof. Reign seemed content to grin maniacally, while the Captain focused her hearing on the surrounding area, checking for any stray civilians.

_"I wasn't sure you'd come, Captain"_ Reign finally broke the silence. Lena didn't answer, simply stood in place and awaited the villain's first move.

_"It's rude to ignore people, Captain. You'll offend me"_ The Woman snarled. Lena couldn't care less if she offended the psychopath, she was still aching from recent events, and she had been enjoying that glass of wine, dammit. Reign appeared to become more incensed by the silence, the longer it stretched; fists clenching at her sides and shoulders tightening. She was clearly used to getting her way, used to instilling fear in whoever stood before her. Lena stood her ground.

While CADMUS and their creations were terrifying and dangerous, the general consensus of the people of National City, was that Reign was the villain to worry about. She had proven to be cunning and powerful, having beaten Supergirl on more than one occasion already.

The people feared her, because she could down their hero.

The villainess began to move, a growl rumbling from her throat. Lena tensed in anticipation, Reign didn't appear to be on the attack, so much as striding towards her purposefully, but it paid to be cautious. They were nose-to-nose when she finally stopped

_"I will teach you manners, then"_  the villainess sneered, before suddenly attempting an uppercut. Lena's caution paid off, and she stepped back just in time for the fist to fly past her face. The other woman spun on her heel, planning a roundhouse to the CEO's midsection, which landed squarely in the Captain's ribs with a sickening 'crunch'. Lena reeled back, clutching her no doubt broken ribs. She fell into a defensive stance, despite the pain, it's not like she could back down now, anyway. Lena's plan at this point was simple; take as little damage as she could, but do not attack. She needed to wear the woman down as much as possible, and having her swinging her heart out to no avail for a while was the best option. This was going to be a long, difficult, painful fight.

The villainess drifted a few inches above the rooftop, scrutinizing the warrior, before suddenly launching forward. Lena anticipated a closed fist flying at her face, but it didn't come; the woman instead curling downwards to take out her legs, laying her out. Seems that the woman favored quick and unforeseeable attacks, striving to gain the upper-hand through the element of surprise. Lena had not been trained for this. But she was smart, and her logic drove her to seek out a pattern that could help her discern the next move. She righted herself quickly, turning to face the smirking woman, waiting for a clue, a twitch; anything to get the jump on the crazed woman. But there were no telltale signs to work with. She knew that Astra's right eye would twitch slightly before she moved to attack. And Jess had easily the world's worst poker-face, as the right corner of her mouth would quickly jerk into a half-grin mere moments before she lashed out. But this woman, this woman gave nothing away.

Lena was sent reeling again, as she blocked a sudden right hook, but fell to the left jab that immediately followed it, connecting with her jaw. Reign fell back slightly, watching for the next opportune moment. She remained floating, instead of touching down, and Lena expected that she would try that sweeping attack again shortly. She composed herself once more, still watching for even the most minute give away. But it didn't come. Before she knew it, she was grappling with the villain, having managed to stop both of the swings the woman had attempted; she had at least discovered this small pattern. It became apparent, thanks to the confused furrowing of the other woman's brow as she tried to wrench herself free, that Lena was actually physically stronger than her enemy. Probably had something to do with the truck-pushing exercise Astra forced on her during their daily training. The CEO had an opportunity, a window of time she could use, and the upper-hand in at least one aspect of this battle. She raised her knee with such force and speed that Reign's whole body lifted further into the air. Still having a hold of the villain's wrists, Lena yanked her back down and onto her knee a second time, and the woman crumpled to the ground. That small, dark part of Lena reveled in the disgusting 'crunch' of bones in response to the second connection; at least now they were even.

Reign took a moment, and Lena allowed it, still focusing on conserving her strength until the most opportune time to attack. The CEO carefully dropped back into stance as she waited, aware of the woman's penchant for surprise attacks, and not fully trusting that she actually had a moment to breathe. She was surprised when Reign suddenly jerked forward, again attempting to drop the Captain to the ground, but she countered by shooting straight into the air. Another small opportunity was provided by the woman's now sprawling form, and Lena darted back towards the rooftop, driving her knee into the small of her opponent's back. Reign screeched in agony, but she was apparently far from done, throwing Lena off her and stumbling to right herself. The Captain recovered quickly, not surprised to be met with scowling, but confused eyes. Reign had not anticipated the difference in strength, at least not in Lena's favor, and it was clearly bothering her.

_"You're stronger than Zor-El, Captain. Not surprising, she was born a princess, not a warrior. It is to be expected, that she would be useless in a fight"_  The barb at Kara was an attempt at goading, Lena knew it, but that didn't mean it pissed her off any less. That was her person. She remained calm, settling for a light scowl instead of blind fury, and awaited the next round. She watched silently as she noticed the pattern she'd missed; Reign would attack, fall back, then attack again, and she would never attack when Lena was not facing her. It must have been an 'honour' thing. Luckily, neither Jess nor Astra had bothered teaching her fight etiquette. This gave Lena another advantage to work with, and she planned to use it. Opting to alter her previous plan to 'attack when there is an opportunity, fight dirty, but take as little damage as possible', Lena caught Reign's incoming kick and immediately drove her elbow down on the knee joint. The villainess cried out in pain, stumbling back and falling onto her ass as she sucked oxygen in through her teeth at a rapid rate. For a moment, Lena thought that maybe she had won, until the villainess screamed and unexpectedly pushed forward fast enough to break the sound barrier with a 'bang'. Lena was caught off-guard, taking the full force of the attack straight to her gut, and flying off the edge of her building. She was so caught-up in the pain that she didn't think to stop her momentum, and crashed into the ground below head first.

* * *

The brave - most would call them stupid - news crew that was attempting to enter the next building over, so that they could climb to the rooftop and start filming; dropped into a collective crouch as the loud 'CRASH' sounded out behind them, and the ground shook beneath them. They turned to face where the noise had come from, only to be met with a 2 foot deep crater containing the hero National City was rooting for. The anchor woman gestured for her camera crew to start filming, and within moments, they were broadcasting.

"We're coming to you live from the scene of the biggest good vs evil fight this city has ever seen. As you can see behind me, there has been an incident where the Captain of The Guard has falle...oh, wait! There's movement, we have movement!"

* * *

Lena's everything ached, and she nearly forgot what she was even doing, such was the throbbing of her brain. She shook her head slightly as her eyes cleared, wincing as an odd and painful rubbing sensation occurred on the right side of her crown. She waited a few moments, feeling blood trickle down her forehead, before trying the move again. That painful rubbing was still there, and she reached a shaky, and now bloodied hand up to check her helmet, only to find that it was partially caved in. She panicked for a moment, thinking maybe her skull had caved with it, before she realised that the helm had been raised from it's correct position, and was now askew on her head. She didn't have much choice in the matter, as she raised the helmet completely off her head. Not like it was going to be any use now, anyway. She gingerly rubbed at the baseball-sized swelling that had taken residence on her head, wiping the resulting blood soaked fingers on the slightly torn cape attached to her shoulder. She took a deep breath as she stood, turning to face the villainess that had sent her down here. She noted the overwhelming silence surrounding her, but didn't think much of it as she focused her attention on Reign, laser vision quickly meeting the villain's own red beams

* * *

"..."

The TV anchor was stunned. Before her stood none other than Lena Luthor, decked-out in Kryptonian armour, determination and blood painting her face. A soft 'click' sounded off next to her, and she wondered if Lena Luthor might be gracious enough to allow them to use the image in an article.

(Some time after the battle, Lena herself would prove to be impressed with the image; which showed her facing the camera bodily in full Guard regalia, fists clenched at her side, head turned to her right and tilted up, lasers shooting forth from her eyes as her hair flowed around her neck and shoulders. She gave permission for it to be used on one condition; Kara had immedately fallen in love with the image, and wanted a movie poster sized copy for her bedroom wall. The image won a Pulitzer prize that year.)

* * *

Meanwhile, at the DEO, Kara and the rest of the agents - except Alex, who instead eyed her little sister - were gaping at the screen before them. Even J'onn was wide-eyed in shock at this turn of events.

Kara felt her powers scream back to life as she watched Lena, watched her person, engage in a laser vision standoff with Supergirl's arch nemesis. But she still couldn't move. She was in shock. Of all the feelings racing through her now highly sensitive system, two stood out most prominently; worry and arousal. Because 'holy-Rao-that's-Lena-and-she's-bleeding-and-that-lump-is-massive-she's-gonna-need-to-bury-her-whole-head-in-a-snow-drift-to-ease-the-swelling!' And 'Rao-and-all-the-stars-above-how-can-a-person-be-that-sexy-covered-in-dirt-and-blood-and-sweat-and-holy-cow-I-think-my-nose-is-bleeding!'. Alex chuckled softly beside her sister as she watched the blush overtake the blonde's features. Kara didn't even notice.

* * *

Lena felt as if hours had passed, as her laser vision connected with that of the madwoman hovering just below the edge of L-Corp's rooftop; in reality it had been less than a minute. She had to end this quickly, she knew she wouldn't be able to hold out much longer if she didn't, the blood pouring down across her nose and cheeks was evidence of a rather worrying head wound, and she was already feeling faint. She had been toying with an idea recently. In a theoretical realm, it worked flawlessly, but she had yet to apply the notion in a practical fashion. If she screwed this up, she was dead, she knew that. But if it worked, it could be what turns the tables back in her favor. She held her eyes steady as she breathed in deep, focusing on cooling her breath for what she was about to attempt. Timing was important if she was going to pull this off, and she didn't want to waste a moment. She held the freezing breath in a moment, as she prepared herself for what came next, before she suddenly jerked her eyes skyward, forcing the villainess to do the same as the force of their lasers pushed against one another. Without wasting a single second, she blew the icy air directly in front of her, before shooting four quick bursts of her laser vision through the cloud; aiming at targets her mind's eye provided that would render her opponent immobile, if this worked.

The lasers traveled through the mist, hardening into pairs of icy spikes, and hitting their intended destinations squarely. Just as Lena had theorized. There were pairs of frozen spikes now embedded in the shoulder and knee joints of the startled villainess, forcing her to scream out her agony as she plummeted towards the ground. Unlike Lena, Reign managed to brace herself for the impact, but slammed into the ground heavily; her whole body hitting at once, thus distributing the damage evenly, instead of focusing it all into one spot. But despite bracing herself, she was still rendered unconscious as her head bounced off the sidewalk and struck it a second time.

Lena waited with bated breath, watching for any sign that the woman might be faking. A minute passed, then two, and finally she crumbled to her knees, still staring at the battered alien in front of her. She heard two sets of feet touch down behind her, and Astra's hand fell to her right shoulder. Jess stepped forward as she reached into the lead-lined pouch that hung from her belt, no doubt searching for the Kryptonite handcuffs Lena made her Guardsman carry with them. Astra applied slightly more pressure to her Captain's shoulder, as Jess stood over the fallen villain, bringing her arms behind her to secure the cuffs in place. The pressure receded as Reign was finally bound, even if she did wake, the Kryptonite cuffs would render her about as powerful as an ailing human, so she was no longer a threat. It was over. She did it

She won.

* * *

Astra allowed her Captain to lean heavily on her as they made their way to the DEO, and Lena was grateful. She was dizzy and hurting and Rao she'd revealed herself to the whole city, and Kara was gonna hate her for the lies she'd told to preserve the blonde's peace of mind. Her brain throbbed in protest of her thinking too hard, and for the first time ever; she decided that it was too hard to think at all, and that she'd rather watch sidewalk cracks pass by underneath them than think about anything at all. She remained counting cracks all the way to their destination, looking up with a painful grimace as the trio walked through the entrance. Jess had slung Reign over her shoulder and carried her boneless form the whole trip, but she quickly relieved herself of her cargo - by way of dumping it carelessly at J'onn Jones' feet - as soon as the opportunity presented itself. Astra chuckled and it jostled Lena's wounds enough to make her groan in pain. Astra hadn't even had time to turn her head before Kara was there, easing the woman out of her aunt's grip. She seemed unphased by Astra's presence, and Lena thought maybe Alex had explained at least that much to the reporter while the fight raged - it's not like the woman had kept her helmet on, after all. She caught Astra's small pout in her periphery as Kara hooked an arm under her own, and bent to collect her legs up as well. Lena was pleased when they gently floated into the air, her bond-mate had regained her powers.

Kara slowly drifted towards the med bay, not speaking a word, and if it weren't for the gentle treatment she was receiving, Lena may have worried that the blonde was angry with her. She reasoned that a person could not be so gentle with someone they hated, so she tried to stay optimistic. Supergirl carefully placed her Captain on the gurney in the med bay, and it was now that Lena realized that Alex had followed behind them, and was now quietly bustling around the room collecting various rolls of gauze, bandages, and several tubes of what appeared to be regular, over-the-counter antiseptic ointments. Alex set to tending wounds, while Kara moved to collect some form of lamp from the other side of the room; positioning it above the CEO and turning it on without warning. At Lena's hiss of complaint, a hand came to rest on her forehead, and she turned to see an apologetic looking blonde, smiling sadly at her. The dizziness and pain finally overwhelmed her, and her eyes drifted closed.

* * *

When she awoke, there were several more lamps set up above her, bathing her in a comfortable warmth that made her skin tingle pleasantly. She turned to her right, surveying the room as best she could, before she noticed a wet feeling on the palm of her left hand. She adjusted her head slowly to face the dampness, and found herself gazing at the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, drool and all.

Kara had arranged herself on what appeared to be the most uncomfortable chair known to man - at least in Lena's opinion - and was hunched over the edge of her bed; left hand resting on her stomach, right hand over the pulse-point in her wrist, and face resting in her upturned palm, drooling. She assumed the positioning was a comfort to the blonde, as it allowed her to feel the rise and fall of her breath, her pulse, and the warmth of her skin all at once. She longed to reach her right hand over her body to run fingers through those golden locks, but the pain was excruciating. She settled for watching the reporter sleep, following that adorable forehead crinkle with her eyes. After a few minutes, she grew bored with just looking, and tried curling the fingers resting under her best friend's head up and into yellow tresses. With a grumble, Supergirl began to stir, rubbing her eyes and pouting adorably at the offending fingers she was now staring at. Lena wiggled the appendages as Kara watched, studying the hero's features, and waiting for the penny to drop. It took a few seconds, but galactic blue eyes suddenly widened as the reporter's head snapped to meet Lena's eyes. The Captain tried to croak out a greeting, but ended up merely squeaking as her best friend wrapped her up in an embrace which, while usually warm and inviting, was actually kinda painful at the moment. She realized her error quickly though, and released the brunette carefully, even as she burst into a rambling apology. Lena just smiled at the blonde. When Kara had finally run out of steam, she turned to look at the CEO, narrowing her eyes and drawing herself to her full height.  _uh oh_ , Lena thought to herself as she braced for the reporters incoming rage.

_"I'm so...so...ugh! I'm upset with you! You lied to me, and I know I can't be upset about that because I lied to you too, but...grr! Then, you went out there and faced that monster, ALONE. And worst of all, you got hurt! Really badly, Lena! Alex had to call in a doctor to drill a small hole in you skull to relieve the swelling! In. Your. Skull! You've been unconscious for 12 days, Lena. 12 DAYS! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?!"_ The businesswoman thought it best to refrain from responding with 'well, no. I was unconscious'. The angry tears streaming down Kara's face told her that she'd likely cop a slap, even with her current condition. Instead she raised her hand as best she could, reaching for Kara's. The blonde entwined their fingers immediately, and roughly rubbed at her tear-stained cheeks.

_"I..."_ her throat was sore, probably from nearly two weeks of being unused. She tried to clear the gravelly feeling away before she continued

_"I'm sorry, Kara...I didn't want to worry you. Just..."_ She clears her throat again "... _just as you didn't want to put pressure on me"_ The reporter let the words sink in, before she blushed and hid her face behind strands of spun gold

_"That was unfair, by the way. I never used my secret identity to weasel information about your feelings out of you"_  Lena had common sense enough to look sheepish.

_"I may be a good guy, Kara, but I was still raised by Luthor's."_ She grinned cheekily in an attempt to lighten the mood, pleased when Kara giggled.

_"True. But could we maybe refrain from using the Luthor training to make me embarrass myself?"_

_"You didn't embarrass yourself, Kara. And if it makes you feel any better, I feel the same about you, And I know the cortex would choose us for each other, because it's chosen you for me, every day since I was 5"_ Kara's eyes widened, and her mouth performed a perfect imitation of a goldfish, as it opened and closed uselessly for several seconds

_"You...you know where it is?"_  she finally managed, and Lena nodded

_"It's in my walk-in robe at the penthouse"_  the Captain replied nonchalantly. Kara's eyes practically bulged out of her head at the news

_"You're definitely showing it to me! But...in the meantime...can I, uh...may I kiss you, Lena Ohn-Ne Luthor?"_  Lena beamed back at the blonde as best she could, nodding

_"I would love nothing more"_  With that, Kara leaned down to press her lips gently against the Captain's. There was no fight for dominance, no roughness; just soft lips, moving carefully together. Even when Lena slid her tongue across the blonde's top lip, and Kara met it with her own, it was not a lust driven moment. It was pure, careful, loving...perfect


	10. No More Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys are anything like me, you've been waiting for heated sex scenes since you saw the [Lena L, Kara D./Supergirl] tag (yes, I'm a pervert, sue me) so here it is.
> 
> Warning for explicit sexual content!

It had been three weeks since she'd been released from the DEO's med bay, the cleanup taken care of and the city back to its normal hustle and bustle. Walking out of the building had been a wholly different experience than usual for the brunette, as people smiled and waved to her, instead of crossing the street to get away from a  _Luthor_. The first time someone approached her, she thought it would be to unleash the usual tirade that came with her last name; instead she was met with a tearful 'thank you', and a string of apologies about how she had previously been treated. She had clearly been awed by the moment, as Kara had to gently grasp her elbow to keep her moving, while uttering a heartfelt thank you of her own to the stranger. She didn't realize tears pricked her eyes until she gingerly shuffled into the backseat of her waiting car.

If Lena thought the paparazzi had been hounding her before, she was in for one hell of a shock. After the reveal of her true nature, the sneaky little bastards were literally everywhere; begging for photo opportunities, comments, anything they could get their hands on. Newspapers and TV reports sung her praises while smearing images of her all over front pages and screens. She was used to the attention - even if it was usually in far smaller doses - not so much the praise; but it did light a pleasant warmth in her heart to know that she had done some good. Jess fielded requests for interviews, pushing the reporters back with 'Miss Luthor is recovering from injury, as you well know, she will make contact when she is able'. It seemed to satisfy them well enough, and Lena decided it had been altogether too long since she'd given her secretary a raise.

And then there's the DEO. The sheer mass of paperwork that came with knowing Kara's secret identity, was ridiculous. Not to mention the image of J'onn Jonzz, all-around tough guy, practically begging her to join the DEO. The stifled giggles of a certain blonde had made up her mind for her, she'd do whatever she had to to be close to her ray of sunshine. Astra and Jess were signed up as well - although Astra had complained loudly about having to sign paperwork to know her own niece - and Jess seemed quite content to sit next to Winn as he idly scratched her Vesperian ears while he worked. The arrangement quickly became the talk of the DEO, while everyone tried to figure out if the pair were dating. Whenever asked, Winn would blush and look down to his right - 'that's his tell, there's definitely something going on', Alex had once whispered to her - Jess would simply state 'no comment' and walk away. Lena hid a proud smile at that. Astra could be found wherever Alex was, and on multiple occasions, Lena had picked up the sound of the pair being thoroughly reprimanded by J'onn for 'inappropriate workplace behavior.' Judging by Kara's giggling, she'd picked up on it too.

All-in-all, everything was going well. A few CADMUS sympathizers were still floating around, loudly commenting on Lena's alien heritage. One even threw an egg at her as she stood to deliver a speech on the whole situation, as requested by the president herself. She'd caught it and threw it back, just hard enough for it to crack against his forehead, and spill what turned out to be  _rotten_  egg all down his face. She'd started her speech that day with 'Now that we're done playing catch with the children...' and the crowd laughed in unison. It had been one of her prouder moments, knowing that she was the cause of laughter, instead of unfounded fear. All the while, Kara stood proudly at her side, smiling, and sending loving looks her way. Lena's heart raced every time, no matter how hard she tried to control it. On the upside, Kara's heart fluttered when their eyes met too, so she didn't feel quite so self-conscious about it.

And everything melted away as the night rolled in; any lingering negative thoughts about her last name, or those horrible little CADMUS vermin, or what her brother might do if he managed to escape his cell, disappeared in the face of the shyly smiling Kara Zor-El Danvers. They had opted to take it slow, even after the cortex had called Lena's name when scanning Kara, because they wanted this to be real. Wanted it to naturally curve into them like their friendship had, and while Lena was admittedly a little frustrated at first, that too ebbed away under the feeling of calloused fingers tracing her bare spine under the light of the moon. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't heard Kara come in at all, but now that she focused, she could smell the lingering aroma of smoke and battle on her bond-mate's suit, coupled with the steady thrumming of her heartbeat. Conversely soft lips met the skin of her nape, and she sighed happily at the feeling. They had spent several nights, curled up in one another's embrace, shyly avoiding anything that could be misconstrued as sexual lest it was too early; but this touch was different, this touch was charged with unspoken want. Maybe it was because in the heat of summer, Lena had decided to sleep in only a thin pair of panties, and Kara simply couldn't resist. She didn't know, but she was determined not to ask in case it ruined the moment.

Rough fingers trailed back down her spine, before curving at the small of her back, and gently grazing nails across alabaster skin. She shuddered at the sensation, heartbeat quickening and steady breathing turning shallow. Another kiss, this time to the crook of her neck, before another set of equally rough fingers carefully moved her hair to the side. Even if this didn't go further, Lena was very content in the moment, and would happily curl back into the blonde's arms just to sleep if that's what her bond-mate wanted. A gentle nip at her shoulder told her that that was probably not going to happen. Her whole body pulsed at the idea that Kara was ready to take it further, she knew she sure as hell was. Kara's fingers moved along her hips, grasping slightly and coaxing the brunette to roll over to face her. Lena gladly obliged, smirking as the blonde's breath caught at the sight of exposed breasts. For her part, Kara couldn't bring herself to look away from the globes of soft flesh (she would later refer to them as 'orbs of power', much to Lena's chagrin). The fingertips that rested on her hips began to work their way up Lena's body, and the brunette could tell that Kara was concentrating on her lover's heartbeat and breathing, making sure Lena was okay. Lena's heart swelled at how much Kara cared for her. A rough palm rested just below her left breast, and Lena looked to the blonde questioningly. Kara blushed and jerked her head in the direction of Lena's chest, asking without asking. Lena smiled and leaned up to capture the blonde's lips, while clasping the roaming hand and placing it fully over soft flesh. She breathed a needy sigh through her nose as she continued moving her lips against her lover's.

Kara wasted no time, taking the flesh roughly into her hand and kneading it. Lena fell back to the bed with a throaty moan as fingertips grazed her nipple, before pinching at it. The blonde pushed forward and kissed the gently curving neck that had been exposed to her, quickly changing tack to lick and suck at the skin. Lena's Kryptonian constitution meant that Kara didn't have to be gentle, and Lena was embarrassingly thankful for that, she liked it a little rough, if she was honest; and so far, Kara's kind of rough is perfect. When Lena reaches up to grasp at the blonde's shoulder, she finally realizes that the hero was still in her suit. Determined to rectify that situation immediately, she flips them, chuckling as Kara lets out a startled 'eep'. She gets to work peeling the nearly skin-tight top half off of her bond-mate, whispering a rushed 'thank you' as Kara raised herself to finally slip the damn thing off. Don't get her wrong, she loves the Supergirl uniform on Kara, but she'd like it off her more. Shuffling down the bed to start on the hero's skirt, she looks up to those galactic blue eyes, raising an eyebrow in question. The blonde bites her lip as she nods, and Lena momentarily wonders if the skirt is really that important, before she opts to take it off properly, instead of tearing it off and throwing it somewhere behind her. She decides quickly that this idea is better, as it allows her to take in every ripple of sensitive flesh as her fingernails graze soft, inviting thighs.

She's hit with the scent of Kara's arousal, and all at once she's both a needy mess, and completely satisfied, knowing she's the reason her love is a sopping wet mess as well. Before she even registers her own movement, her lips are against the soft flesh of Kara's inner thigh, and said blonde is clutching at her hair with one hand, the bedsheets in the other. Lena plants kisses up the length of that strong thigh until she reaches its apex, where she stops and looks up at now darkened eyes. The desire clouding Kara's eyes sends a shiver down her spine, and she dumbly notes that they look like the night sky when painted with lust. After a moment to collect herself, she gently nuzzles the tendon that joins thigh to groin, still looking up at the beautiful, hooded blue eyes. Kara stiffens slightly, some darkness lifting to reveal the iridescent hue they usually contained. Lena raised an eyebrow, waiting for explanation from the suddenly shy blonde

"  _Uh...umm...no one's ever...uhh..."_  She made a surprisingly lewd gesture with her tongue, before turning completely red and twisting her head to one side. The shock of Kara Danvers making sexual gestures took a moment to wear off, but Lena caught on quickly

 _"Really? No one?"_  Kara shook her head, her embarrassment clear enough that it was nearly palpable.

 _"Well then, if you'd like, we can see if it's to your...taste?"_  She hadn't meant the pun, not even a little, but the shy giggle from her lover eased the mood, so she couldn't bring herself to be embarrassed.

 _"I think...I think I'd like that. I've always been kinda intrigued"_ A little more confident now, Kara looked back down to where her bond-mate rested between her legs, and nodded as she raised her hips slightly. Lena took the hint, carefully slipping her fingers beneath the waistband of the red boyleg underwear, before slowly removing them. Kara's skin twitched under her touch, and Lena basked in the movement, glad she could cause such a reaction, regardless of how minute it may be. She settles herself back between the blonde's legs, sending her one last cursory glance as she did. When Kara finally nodded after taking a calming breath, she turned her attention to the glistening folds before her. Using the lightest of touches, she ran her fingers through the golden curls nestled above her partner's sex, relishing the shiver and quiet moan it elicited. She didn't want to spook the hero, so didn't dive right in, instead deciding to pepper soft kisses along the junction of her thigh, across the expanse of her pubic mound, and down to the other thigh. Kara's heart rate increased exponentially, telling Lena she was definitely doing pleasant things to the hero. A few more gentle kisses trailed up to the cleft of her partner's now dripping sex, before she cautiously moved her target.

Kara's reaction to the first swipe of Lena's tongue was unexpected, and superspeed is the only reason Lena doesn't suffer a bloodied nose from the force and speed of the blonde's thrusting hips. Taking it as encouragement, the brunette leans down once more, careful to keep hold of the now panting hero's hips as she does. The gutteral moan that breaks from Kara's lips as Lena's tongue connects with her clit, sends a jolt of raging arousal to the brunette's core; urging her to press closer to the hardened nub, suck a little harder. Kara's hands are in her hair, insistent and desperate. Lena smiles as she draws tight circles around the bud, before dipping down to slip her tongue between moistened folds. The hero moans again, harsh against her ragged breathing, and Lena is hit with that surge of arousal once more. Lifting back up to encircle her lovers clit once more, she brings her hand to toy with the slick skin resting beneath her chin, coaxing a breathy 'ooh' from the blonde. She gently slips a finger in, careful not to startle Kara if this isn't what she wanted. The response is an almost inhuman growl laced heavily with desperate want and desire. Lena's quite certain she just came, if the shaking of her legs, flickering white explosions behind her eyelids, and sudden worn-out feeling was anything to go by. It didn't stop her though, she was Kryptonian, half at least, so her stamina was insane - an ex had said that to her once, but she tried not to dwell on that. Instead, she slid a second finger through dampened folds, and curled them to meet the rough patch of skin she knew would drive her bond-mate wild. Even aliens had g-spots, after all. She tightened her hold on already bucking hips as she anticipated the reaction she was about to cause.

Good thing she had, as the first connection of her fingertips with that ribbed expanse of flesh caused the blonde to buck wildly from the mattress, screaming and shaking as she was met with easily the most intense orgasm of her life. Her hands gripped tightly in brunette hair, and her legs trembled violently around Lena's head, but the Captain didn't stop, only slowed let her lover ride out the pleasure. Once Kara was a sweating, heaving mass of tangled hair and ragged breathing, Lena carefully removed her fingers from the still contracting walls they'd been so enthralled by, gently kissing the swollen folds before shuffling back up the bed to face her favorite person in the universe. She smiled lovingly at the dopey grin on her bond-mate's face, as she drew random patterns on the still sensitive skin of her stomach. Kara's fingers sluggishly reached for her face, and Lena couldn't help but lean into the touch.

 _"I love you, Lena Ohn-Ne Luthor"_  She rasped out, throat still hoarse from screaming. Lena's heart soared at the admission, and she felt tears prickling her eyes; she'd never heard something so heartfelt and genuine. She leaned down to kiss her love, her very heart and soul, and breathed out an 'I love you too, Kara Zor-El Danvers' against her lips. She had never felt so content, so comfortable, before, and she simply adored the feeling. Kara commented about needing a minute before the could continue, but Lena just shook her head with a smile, countering that Kara had just come back from a fight, and needed to rest.

 _"Are you sure? Because that, was ah-may-zing, and I want to give that feeling to you, if I'm even capable of being that good"_ she responded shyly.

 _"It's fine, love. I maybe, sort of hit my peak when you let out that altogether too damn sexy growl."_ It was rare for Lena Luthor to be shy, but hey, she'd never cum from a sound before, so she's pretty sure she's allowed. Kara chuckled and blushed

 _"I heard it, too. Not a sound I thought I was capable of making, but if it gets you off, I won't hold back if I feel it building"_ the blonde was a little more confident now, clearly excited by her affect on the CEO. Lena huffed playfully and curled herself into her loves arms.

If there was a heaven, Lena was pretty sure she was in it, because the comforting warmth of Kara's arms around her was the best thing she'd ever known. The world was safe, she had the love of her life, and there were no more secrets between them, and there was not a single worry in her life right now. That thought, coupled with the steady beat of her already sleeping partner's heartbeat, helped her drift into the most restful sleep she'd ever had.d


End file.
